Unity Temple plans expansion in Oak Park

Oak Park landmark needs $25M in repairs; congregation eyes $10M for growth

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 10:00 PM

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By Marty Stempniak

Staff Reporter

One of the most notable buildings in Oak Park is hoping to expand to help meet the growing demands of its occupants. But don't expect the walls or roof of Frank Lloyd Wright's 100-year-old Unity Temple to be torn down or altered anytime soon.

The congregation at Unity Temple has swelled over the years to about 800 members. There's not enough room for religious education or other functions in its building 875 Lake St., and the Unity Temple Universalist congregation's staff works in an office a few blocks away.

The congregation hopes to build a companion building that could relieve some of their space needs and serve as a local cultural center, said Rev. Alan Taylor. Such an addition would cost at least $10 million to build, according to Taylor, and that's in addition to the $25 million needed to restore and repair a myriad of problems at the historic church building.

Taylor said the congregation could share the addition with other local nonprofits, which they hope would help support any restoration efforts.

"This vision is to develop an educational and cultural center that reflects the iconic stature of Unity Temple that will support the restoration of our beloved worship home," he said.

No site has been selected for the companion building, but Taylor said the congregation is scouting several locations in central Oak Park. He declined to say where, because of the "sensitive" nature of the search process. The church is exploring rehabbing an existing structure to serve its needs or constructing a new building, anything but overhauling the historic structure.

Both the congregation and the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation — a nonprofit, nonreligious organization working to preserve the building — are working together to try and tackle the temple's needs. A few years ago, the two sides put together a "pursuit team" tasked without figuring out how they could best collaborate. That group included members from both organizations to develop a blueprint for the effort.

Emily Roth, head of the restoration foundation, said Unity Temple was recently nominated to be on the World Heritage List. Only 21 sites in the U.S. have been named to the list, and being included would place Unity Temple in the company of such landmarks as the Taj Mahal and the pyramids of Giza.

Roth hopes the designation, which could happen by 2014, will bring international attention to Unity Temple, and boost any fundraising efforts.

"It's an enormous honor and would probably bring in quite a lot of tourism," Roth said.

The restoration foundation is focusing on the $25 million needed for a comprehensive restoration — about $5 to $7 million of which is needed in the near-term. Meanwhile, the congregation will focus on the $10 million needed for a new space. After a nationwide search, the two organizations have jointly contracted with a consultant to help advise them on their fundraising efforts.

Taylor emphasized that the effort is in the very preliminary stages. In the near future, the congregation and foundation plan to raise some "startup costs" to get the joint campaign rolling, according to Taylor. And the congregation is reaching out to its members in the coming year to help address its short-term space needs, and to find funds to kick start the five- to 10-year process of building a new facility.

"We're not going to be building an educational cultural center in the next couple of years. That's just not going to happen," Taylor said. "We're in the beginning stages."

Taylor planned to meet with Village President David Pope on Tuesday to voice the congregation's ideas and gather input. Oak Park's master plan for its downtown, completed by a consultant in 2005, speaks to the value of having an arts center near Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street. Pope said Monday night that he was eager to hear what Taylor had to say, as he believes Unity Temple is one of Oak Park's treasures.

"If you were going to leave 10 buildings in the entire United States standing, Unity Temple would be one of them," Pope said.