Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects from Chicago will help determine the scope, vision and cost for the plan
Oak Park trustees agreed Thursday to direct village staff to negotiate an agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. to produce a schematic design for a Village Hall remodel and new police station on the existing site.
The village board decided in July to move forward with plans to renovate the historic building and build a new police facility rather than redeveloping the entire site. So far, the work with architectural firms has been conceptual, Public Works Director Rob Sproule explained.
This phase will help determine the scope and overall vision for the project, he said, commonly thought of as 30% of design plans. It will set the stage for sight plans, floor plans and elevation drawings in the next design phase. JLK will also provide a more realistic estimate of the cost of the project.
The last estimate for remodeling Village Hall and building a new police station was between $132 million and $138.3 million, more than some trustees seemed willing to spend.
The priorities for this project, as outlined by village staff, include preserving the historical aspects of Village Hall, meeting sustainability goals, meeting building codes, creating accessible and inclusive spaces, and bringing both facilities up to modern standards.
Village staff still has to negotiate the agreement with JLK, so the cost for hiring them again is not yet clear. The village previously hired JLK to do a feasibility study to see if it was possible to renovate Village Hall to meet staff needs, and their answer was “Yes.”
JLK are historic preservation specialists and plan to bring on additional architects, sustainability experts, landscapers, engineers and cost specialists for the schematic design work. All 11 consultants considered for the schematic design work planned to bring teams together, Sproule added, so JLK was not necessarily more or less expensive to hire.
“I’m hopeful and confident with this team,” Trustee Brian Straw said. “They are going to bring us a design that reflects the values of Oak Park.”
To move on to the schematic design phase, village staff needed a consensus from the village board members on a direction forward. That took time, Village Manager Kevin Jackson pointed out.
Sproule said the schematic design phase is likely to wrap up in mid-March after additional public engagement and discussions with the board.
Trustee Susan Buchanan pointed out that most board members are prioritizing building a new police station first. Sproule said JLK will present different phasing plans during this process so the board can determine the best way to move forward.
Buchanan also brought up the electrification ordinance the board passed in June 2023 that requires new buildings constructed after Jan. 1, 2024, to be fully electric. There are some exceptions to the rule, Village President Vicki Scaman said, including for some medical facilities.
“The police station wasn’t on the list,” Buchanan responded.
Board members and village staff seemed unsure Thursday whether this project would be required to be fully electric or not. But Buchanan said she’d like the building to be as sustainable as possible and hopes it will be fully electric.
Trustee Cory Wesley also asked for staff to direct JLK to see if it would be conceptually possible to add a couple floors to a new police station for village staff facilities rather than remodeling Village Hall. He’s brought up the idea before, but it’s unclear if the rest of the board would be willing to consider that option.
Wesley pointed out it might be cheaper to do that than to renovate Village Hall and continue to maintain the historic building over time. He said deciding what to do with Village Hall in that scenario would be a decision for later. Wesley was the sole vote against moving forward with the schematic design process with JLK.
Trustee Lucia Robinson also said she’d be interested in getting second opinions from members of the Facility Review Committee as design work moves forward. That committee, made up of local architects and experts, formed to present an option to refurbish Village Hall rather than demolish and rebuild it.
Village staff are expected to bring a negotiated contract with JLK back to trustees at their Dec. 3 meeting to approve.