Oak Park Trustees heard recommendations Tuesday night about how to renovate Village Hall in a three-hour discussion that inched decisions forward as officials deliberated need, history and cost of the project.
That three-hour discussion followed a highly contentious public comment section, pushing the meeting to nearly five hours. The earlier portion of the meeting erupted in anger and high tensions after members of a group supporting a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war pressured the board to take a vote.
Co-chairs of the Facility Review Committee presented its recommendations for remodel, estimated by Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects to cost between $39.2 million to $41.2 million. The recommendation combines elements of three original schemes presented by JLK.
The presentation was met with careful consideration by board members.
Village President Vicki Scaman pointed out that while a cheaper price tag might be attractive to the board and to taxpayers, it may not address all their concerns. If that was the case, the village might end up spending more in the long term if the board decides not to make those bigger investments now.
“The accessibility, the inclusion, the facilities for our staff to feel safe and to work, all of those things are important,” she said. “[But] the cost and burden to the community does definitely matter to me.”
Committee’s recommendation
The Facility Review Committee’s recommendation includes a small addition to the National Register-listed historic building, moving all police functions elsewhere and shifting the council chambers to the lower level.
The addition would allow for a secure entry to the building, a ramp, an elevator and gender neutral restrooms, according to the village’s summary report. On the lower level, the committee also recommends introducing a public commons area for working and gathering in addition to the council chambers.
Other infrastructure upgrades, such as for heating, cooling, lighting, roofing, windows and insulation systems, also add to costs.
“I think that’s all part of normal aging of a historic building,” said Meg Kindelin, JLK president. “There is nothing here that we found overly troubling.”
The committee indicated it tried to balance concerns about the lack of safety in the council chambers with ensuring the space is welcoming. The committee was concerned if trustees needed to escape quickly, they could be trapped because the stadium seats cascade down. If everyone attending needed to leave in an emergency, it could be difficult to do so.
The cost
Trustee Lucia Robinson questioned whether preserving the history of the building was the right lens to use to look at the project.
“I don’t want to spend $35 million preserving the ‘spirit’ of something,” Robinson said.
Committee co-chair Daniel Roush pointed out part of the historical significance of the building is that the location was intended to support racial diversity and discourage segregation between Oak Park’s neighborhoods.
Trustee Cory Wesley pointed out that the cost of refurbishing Village Hall and building a new police station is in the same ballpark as demolishing and rebuilding. The board’s original idea was to do that at an estimated cost of $118 million to $124 million.
Some project cuts may save money now, but it’s likely those upgrades may be needed or desired later, Kindelin said. Starting from scratch isn’t necessarily cheaper, either, Roush countered.
“[Village Hall] needs a lot of things, but it doesn’t need to be rebuilt today,” Kindelin said. “It needs these maintenance items taken care of over the next 10 years, [but] you have time to spend and time to think about it and time to raise money.”
But, Wesley said, the decision is a generational commitment, so it’s important that the board spends money to address functionality and add value to a building that will hopefully last at least another 50 years.
It also might be hard for the board to justify a new structure from an environmental perspective, Trustee Brian Straw said, since the greenest building is the one already built.
Although several board members expressed a desire to get more defined cost numbers, Public Works Director Rob Sproule said the board needs to make specific decisions before that can happen.
To offset costs, Kindelin said the village may be able to apply for energy efficiency grants. She also suggested the village consult a tax attorney to see if it qualifies for tax credits.
A new police station
But Oak Park board members had another pressing question: Where will the police station go?
In the committee’s recommended scheme, the police station would need to be moved entirely, but they weren’t tasked with recommending a location. Robinson said she would like village staff to focus on the need for a new police station next, a statement other board members echoed.
Trustee Ravi Parakkat expressed concern that the state of the current station may have affected the ability to attract and retain officers. The Oak Park Police Department has a significant number of vacancies.
Committee co-chair Colette Lueck said the board needs to persuade the public that a new police station is necessary. Some of the reasons it is necessary, she said, include the lack of training and interview space, as well as crammed evidence and record storage.
“We have the opportunity to look at this more creatively and more modestly,” Parakkat said. “We have time on our side … [to] arrive at something that is not cost-prohibitive for our community that is already burdened by multiple projects.”
Scaman said she’s confident the board will have a clearer vision at their May 7 meeting, as the trustees continue to discuss staff analysis and committee recommendations.