Oak Park Municipal Campus

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The Village of Oak Park is exploring a renovation of the existing Village Hall facility to meet the needs of modern Village governance while preserving the historic integrity of the existing building and the spirit of Open Government. Due to space constraints within the existing facility footprint and operational space needs for both Police and Village Hall operation, the Village of Oak Park is also proposing to construct a new Police Department facility adjacent to the Village Hall facility on the existing site.

The tabs and supporting documents box below contain relevant information to the ongoing discussion surrounding the future of the police station and Village Hall. The page contains the stated project goals, definitions of conceptual cost estimates and even a video originally produced in 2020 that provides a comprehensive look at the police station. The Property Condition Assessments and Space Needs Analysis also contain photos of existing conditions found in both facilities.

Project Goals

The project goals include:

  • Maintaining historical aspects of the existing Village Hall facility that express the spirit of open government and convey the building's historic significance.

  • Meeting established sustainability goals for both renovation and new construction as outlined in the Climate Ready Oak Park plan.

  • Retaining architectural design elements and standards not only exercised at the existing Village Hall facility but throughout the community.

  • Meeting current building codes including addressing life safety issues.

  • Creating accessible and inclusive spaces that exceed current accessibility codes including Illinois Accessibility Code and Americans with Disabilities Act.

  • Addressing safety and security issues for the facilities and site.

  • Meeting modern standards for policing.

  • Updating the site plan to include traffic flow and parking solutions for visitors and employees while maintaining green space for community engagement.

  • Making the existing facility functional as a modern Village Hall including addressing space, noise, and lack of support facilities (including but not limited to: Gender-Neutral Bathrooms, Employee Wellness/Interfaith spaces, and a Lactation Room).

 

History of Village Hall

After previously determining that the former Village Hall, built in 1903, was functionally inadequate to meet the service needs of the community, Village Hall offices were relocated to the current location at Lombard Ave. and Madison St. in April 1975. The location of the new Village Hall was significant because of the objective of Village leaders was to economically invigorate the east central part of the Village which was in danger of rapid racial change paralleling what had recently occurred in the adjoining Chicago neighborhood of Austin. Additionally, prior to this relocation, Village departments worked from offices spread over several locations, making the new centralized location desirable for both Village staff and residents. 

A special issue of the Village News, a precursor to the OP/FYI, was published in June 1975 highlighting the blend of architectural excellence, designed by architect Harry Weese and Associates, and efficiency that the new Village Hall offered. The building was championed for its open floor plan in which nearly all local government activities were visible. Click here to read the Village News from June 1975.(PDF, 529KB)

In 1999, the Village hired Harry Weese and Associates to design and oversee the installation of a new canopy constructed over the south entrance to Village Hall. As the only major change to the exterior of Village Hall, care was taken to preserve the original concept.

Later, in 2012, a new geothermal heating and air conditioning system was substantially built and installed to serve only the Council Chambers portion of Village Hall. Care was taken not to change the appearance of the elevated Council Chambers to maintain its floating appearance.

On January 22, 2013, the Village Board approved the Historic Preservation Commission’s 2013 Work Plan allowing the Historic Preservation Commission to pursue listing the Oak Park Village Hall building on the National Register of Historic Places. Just over 18 months later, Oak Park Village Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its significance in the areas of Politics/Government and Social History on August 25, 2014.

The National Register registration form(PDF, 6MB)  for the historic property states “The construction of Village Hall played a key role in Oak Park’s struggle to break the downward spiral of white flight from re-segregation and led Oak Park to become a model integrated community where citizens of diverse ethnic background live together in peace.” The historic property is also listed under Criterion Consideration G for properties less than fifty years old that have achieved significance. Village Hall is significant in that “the Village of Oak Park in the Chicago region received national attention for the way it inspired and sustained racial integration and demonstrated to other communities how to achieve a diverse mixture of white and black residents to live together in harmony without fear of re-segregation.”

Click here for more information about Village Hall

Existing Condition of Village Hall

2015

On November 9, 2015, Wiss, Janey, Elstner Associates delivered a property condition assessment report regarding the the exterior walls, roof, plaza, fire life safety systems and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems of Village Hall. This report summarized the general condition of specific, accessible portions of the building, and provided repair and maintenance recommendations and general cost estimates to address repair and maintenance over the next ten years.

2023

In 2023, Cordogan Clark completed a Property Condition Assessment and Energy Audit for Village Hall and shared results with Public Works stakeholders in Fall 2023. This information was shared with JLK and the Facility Review Committee as part of their Village Hall Feasibility Study.

The property condition assessment recommended that the Village should plan to spend roughly $8.8M over the years 2024-2033 on capital projects to maintain the Village Hall building and its exterior features.

As part of the process, Baumann Consulting prepared a n energy audit report Cordogan Clark.

2025

JLK provided a comprehensive evaluation of the existing conditions and program validation for the Village of Oak Park Municipal Campus. The program verification, covering both Oak Park Village Hall and the Police Department, builds on the 2019 study conducted by FGM Architects. The assessment began with a detailed review of the current program, followed by a walkthrough of the facilities on December 13, 2024. To ensure the program aligns with departmental needs, the design team—comprising JLK Architects and Dewberry—conducted interviews with key stakeholders on January 8 and 9, 2025. These discussions helped refi ne and confirm specific requirements, with the findings summarized in this report and the full program analysis included in the appendix. This critical process ensures that the municipal campus, as a central hub of community activity, functions effectively to meet the needs of its users.

 

Conceptual Cost Estimates

A conceptual cost estimate is a preliminary, rough estimate of a project’s total cost generated at the very beginning of a project planning phase, when design details are limited and based heavily on assumptions. A conceptual cost estimate is generally used to evaluate the feasibility of a project before detailed design work is completed, often providing only a rough order of magnitude for the overall cost. Due to its early nature, a conceptual estimate is considered less precise than later estimates, with a larger margin of error.

Large projects like the Oak Park Municipal Campus project are generally completed in five (5)  phases, depending on the chosen construction project delivery method. They are: schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, and construction administration. Value engineering is a systematic method used to maximize the value of a project by reducing costs (by utilizing less expensive materials or methods) without sacrificing performance.

Value engineering typically takes place at the completion of the schematic design phase and again during design development, as this is when making changes and exploring alternatives has the least impact on the project schedule and allows for the most potential cost savings. It’s usually done as a team effort, with subject matter experts and project stakeholders working collaboratively to accomplish project goals.

The following links contain conceptual cost estimates that the Village of Oak Park has received for various project options throughout the feasibility phase of the Oak Park Municipal Campus project. 

2019 Police Department Space Needs Assessment (FGM)

To build a new police station, the assessment provided the following information in 2019 (page 4):

 Build a New Police Station     
 Item  Low  High 
 Construction Budget  $38,289,921  $40,204,417 
 Owner Purchased Items (FF&E, etc.)  $1,046,000   $1,208,000
 Fees and Soft Costs  $2,898,845  $3,111,287 
 Owner Contingency  $394,484  $431,929 
 Total Project Budget  $42,629,251  $44,955,633 

 

2023 Updated Police Department Space Needs Assessment (FGM)

To repair and/or correct deficiencies identified in the report in basement areas occupied by the Police Department, the assessment provided the following information in 2023 (page 1):

   Low  High 
 Construction Budget   $8,900,000  $14,200,000 
 Soft Costs and Fees  $960,000  $1,500,000
 Total Project Budget  $9,860,000   $15,700,000


To repair and/or correct deficiencies in existing building occupied by Village Hall (not addressing space issues) ,the assessment provided the following information in 2023 (page 2):

    Low   High
Construction Budget  $13,000,000  $15,200,000
Soft Costs and Fees  $1,300,000  $1,600,000
Total Project Budget  $14,300,000  $16,800,000

 

Options:

  1. Build Addition for Police on Existing Site and Renovate the Basement
  2. Build New Police Station on New Site (does not include land acquisition or existing building basement renovation)
  3. Build New Police Station Elsewhere and Renovate Village Hall on Existing Site (does not include land acquisition)
  4. (3a) Build New Police Station Elsewhere and Rebuild Village Hall on Existing Site (does not include land acquisition)
  5. (4) Rebuild Village Hall and Police Station on Existing Site

Total Budget Summary of Options:

   Low  High 
 Option 1   $75,400,000   $77,800,000 
 Option 2  $66,900,000  $69,500,000 
 Option 3  $118,800,000  $124,200,000 
 Option 3a  $122,800,000  $132,100,000 
 Option 4  $132,800,000  $138,100,000 


Historic Preservation Planning and Study Report (JLK)

The scope of this feasibility study limited JLK's review to the existing Village Hall building. Therefore, conceptual costs only include desired renovations to the building without evaluating improvements to the site or the addition of a new standalone facility for the police department.

The Facility Review Committee selected Scheme 2 as the preferred design scheme during Phase II, which presented a compatible south addition that would serve as an orientation hub for Village Hall. During Phase II it was also indicated that the existing Council Chamber function should be relocated to accommodate additional need for Council space and functionality.

  • Scheme 2a - Larger Addition, Council Chamber Hub: $54.5-$57 million
    • Addition serves as visitor and staff orientation point and hosts new relocated Council Chambers.
    • Existing Council Chambers is repurposed into multi-function room with new elevator.
  • Scheme 2b - Smaller Addition, Orientation Hub: $47.5-$49.5 million
    • Addition serves as an orientation and circulation tower for visitors and staff and is sized to accommodate public-facing Village Hall functions, restrooms, small conference rooms, stair and elevators.
    • Existing Council Chambers is repurposed into multi-function room with new elevator.
    • New Council Chambers are located in either room 101 or lower-level public common area.

Space Needs Assessment

On November 25, 2019, the Village Board approved an Agreement with FGM Architects, Inc. for a Space Needs Assessment for the Oak Park Police Department (RES 18-1050). The police department has been located in the lowest level of Village Hall since the building opened in 1975. Click the links below to view documents associated with FGM's assessment:

On February 18, 2020, the Village Board approved an Agreement with FGM Architects, Inc. for Architectural and Engineering Schematic Design Services for the Oak Park Police Department (RES 20-093). Shortly thereafter, however, the project was paused due to the onset of COVID-19 global pandemic.

In April 2022, Village staff began to re-engage with FGM Architects, Inc. in an effort to advance the project forward once again.

On June 14, 2022, a memorandum from BerryDunn to the Village Board identified the existing police station as an emergent issue. The findings came as a part of BerryDunn's Community Safety Assessment.

Board Action Since 2023

2023

  • April 24, 2023: The Village Board approved an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with FGM Architects, Inc. for additional conceptual design options for the Police Station Improvement Project (RES 23-138). At the same meeting, the Village Board also approved a task order for Professional Engineering Services with Cordogan Clark & Associates, Inc. to conduct condition assessments and complete energy audits for Village Hall (RES 23-132).
  • June 8, 2023: Cordogan Clark completed a Property Condition Assessment and Energy Audit for Village Hall and shared results with Public Works stakeholders in Fall 2023. This information was also shared with JLK and the Facility Review Committee as part of their Village Hall Feasibility Study. The property condition assessment recommended that the Village should plan to spend roughly $8.8M over the years 2024-2033 on capital projects to maintain the Village Hall building and its exterior features. Click here here to view the Property Condition Assessment(PDF, 29MB).
  • July 5, 2023: The Village Board approved a motion to advance the Police Station Improvement Project Option 4 (rebuild the current Village Hall Campus with a new Village Civic Center that meets the current and potential future service needs of the Village including, but potentially not limited to, current Village Hall services and Public Safety and facility parking needs) to schematic design (MOT 23-67).
  • July 31, 2023: The Village Board approved an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with FGM Architects, Inc. for additional conceptual solutions for Village facilities (RES 23-239). At the same meeting, the Village Board also directed staff to engage a separate architectural firm with experience in historic preservation to evaluate the viability and cost of renovating the Village Hall facility to meet the goals of the Village.
  • October 30, 2023: The Village Board approved a Professional Services Agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. (JLK) for historic preservation architectural services (RES 23-298). The Village Board also approved a resolution creating a Facility Review Committee for the Oak Park Village Hall Facility Renovation Evaluation and appointed its members (RES 23-309). 
  • December 20, 2023: The initial meeting of the Facility Review Committee (FRC) allowed for committee members to introduce themselves and get to know each other. In addition to this networking, there was an initial presentation(PPTX, 480KB) provided by Public Works Director Rob Sproule followed by conversation that laid the ground work for the project goals that are referenced in current conversations regarding the project. Click here to view Meeting Minutes.(PDF, 151KB)

2024

  • January 17, 2024: JLK provided the FRC an initial presentation highlighting their findings associated with the historic overview of the building including a review of the National Register documentation and the interior and exterior character-defining features of the building. JLK worked with the FRC to adopt concrete project goals that included prioritizing cost, the police department, inclusion, parking, security and safety, and sustainability. Click here to view Meeting Minutes.(PDF, 198KB)
  • February 21, 2024: JLK presented three potential Village Hall schemes to the FRC highlighting that their focus was on Village Hall and the only mention of the Police Department was whether police activities would remain in the building as part of the scheme. The Committee provided feedback to JLK to hone the schemes based on their agreement that the entirety of the Police Department should be relocated, Council Chambers should be relocated somewhere within the building to allow for inclusivity for all users, and a modified, welcoming addition at the South entrance to Village Hall. Click here to view Meeting Minutes.(PDF, 209KB)
  • March 13, 2024: JLK presented a refined version of their three potential Village Hall schemes based on the Facility Review Committee’s feedback on February 21, 2024. Based on this presentation, the Committee voted unanimously to advance a recommend scheme to the Village Board on April 9, 2024, that included Police Department activities relocating to a new building elsewhere, all baseline required modifications to maintain the building, a small addition at the South entrance to Village Hall that allows for security and vertical circulation throughout the building, and relocated Council Chambers to the lower level of Village Hall and renaming the Public Commons. Click here to view a recording of the meeting.
  • April 9, 2024: The Facility Review Committee with the support of Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. provided a presentation to the Board on the feasibility of renovating Village Hall to meet the needs of modern governance for the Village while maintaining its historic integrity (ID 24-200).
  • May 28, 2024: A Special Village Board meeting was held to discuss financial opportunities and limitations and Village Board goals and priorities related to the police station improvement project. The Village’s financial consultants presented various financial models and discussed their benefits and constraints as potential support for the Police Station Improvement Project (ID 24-286). Also, Ludwig Speaks facilitated a discussion with the Village Board to affirm their priorities as they relate to the Police Station Improvement Project in an effort to ensure that future Village Board actions align with their values (ID 24-287).
  • July 30, 2024: Village staff brought forth a resolution for an amendment to the professional services agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. for additional conceptual solutions for village facilities (RES 24-261). The Village Board denied this resolution and instead came to a consensus to move forward with the original Option 3, to build a new police station on the existing site and make renovations to the existing Village Hall. The Village Board directed staff to work through the process of choosing an architect to set the project’s budget and prioritize the Village’s needs.
  • November 21, 2024: The Village Board approved the Motion to direct staff to negotiate a professional services agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. for schematic design architectural services for the Oak Park Municipal Campus (MOT 24-269).
  • December 3, 2024: The Village Board approved a resolution for a Professional Services Agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. for Schematic Design Architectural Services for the Oak Park Municipal Campus (RES 24-358).

2025

  • January 22, 2025: Approximately 40 community members visited Village Hall during an open house event aimed at gathering feedback and providing information about proposed renovations of the existing Village Hall facility and the construction of a new Oak Park Police Department. Attendees were able to meet the schematic design team, review conceptual design diagrams and ask questions.
  • January 31, 2025: Three groups representing the Police Department, Village Hall staff, and the Facility Review Committee came together for Charrette Day. Over the course of seven hours, the groups completed seven exercises that had individual, small group, and larger group components for discussion. The exercises were meant to generate feedback on the participants’ project ideas and priorities, visions for success, Village Hall reuse planning, Police Department planning, Campus planning with the ultimate goal of combining those ideas to form a visual representation of the project. In the end, all three groups’ designs were very similar in that they found a way to prioritize parking and greenspace (two overarching themes of the feedback received that are often in conflict with each other), meaningfully connect the two buildings, and provide safe, secure, and welcoming entrances/exits for community users and staff.
  • February 11, 2025As part of the Oak Park Municipal Campus schematic design process, the design team worked with Village staff to solicit feedback from community members and Village Hall users to inform Open House and Charrette Day activities. The schematic design team summarized the feedback received, the outcomes of the Open House and Charrette Day activities, and solicited additional feedback from the Village Board based on the information presented (ID 25-182).

Video Tour of Existing Police Station

The video below was produced in 2020 to show current conditions of the Oak Park Police Department station, which is located in the lower level of Village Hall (123 Madison St.)

  

Click here for more information about the Oak Park Police Department

Photos of Existing Conditions: