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A Motion to Select and Finalize the Preferred Concept for the Oak Park Municipal Campus and Direct Staff to Return to the Village Board with a Final Option to Advance to Schematic Design
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Introduction
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Johnson Lasky and Kindelin Architects, along with the schematic design team, will share two conceptual design options while highlighting the financial and operational advantages and disadvantages of each option. The design options presented in February 2025, guided by best practices and priorities established during the Design Charrette, had to be further refined due to rising construction costs and fiscal constraints. As part of the presentation, the design team will discuss the reduced cost options, vetted by the Police Department and Village Hall staff, that achieve meaningful cost savings while preserving the core vision and essential programmatic functions of the original designs.
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Recommended Action
Village staff recommend that the Village Board choose a preferred concept for the Oak Park Municipal Campus and provide feedback on the various optionality associated with that concept.
Prior Board Action
• On February 11, 2025, the Village Board had the opportunity to receive an update from the schematic design team and provide feedback on the program validation report, the community engagement portion of the design process, and the outcomes of the Charrette Day activities (ID 25-182).
• On 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).
• On 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).
• On 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. 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 (RES 24-261).
• On May 28, 2024, 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).
• On 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).
• On October 30, 2023, the Village Board approved a Professional Services Agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc. 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 Project and appointed its members (RES 23-309).
• On 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). 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.
• On 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).
• On 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 this 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).
• 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 in an Amount Not to Exceed $322,600 (RES 20-093).
• On November 19, 2018, the Village Board approved an Agreement with FGM Architects, Inc. for a Space Needs Assessment for the Oak Park Police Department in an Amount Not to Exceed $53,680 (RES 18-1050).
• 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. The application was accepted, and the building was listed on August 25, 2014.
Background
As part of the Oak Park Municipal Campus schematic design process, the design team worked with Village staff to host an Open House for community members to meet the schematic design team and voice their concerns or provide feedback on their preferred approach and priorities for the project on January 22, 2025. This was followed up with a Design Charrette Day on January 31, 2025, that included engagement with staff representing Village Hall and the Police Department, along with community members from the Facility Review Committee. In addition to the public and staff engagement events, Village staff and the schematic design team have discussed Climate Ready Oak Park goals for this project with the Village’s sustainability stakeholders. Design team members have also completed program validation interviews with various department stakeholders, including the Village Manager and Village President. Finally, staff worked with the consultant on two surveys to elicit additional feedback on the project. This included both an external, community-centered survey as well as a Village Hall user survey.
The schematic design team presented a summary of the feedback received and outcome of the Open House and Charrette Day activities at the February 11, 2025, Village Board meeting (ID 25-182). In response to project funding concerns posed by the Village Board at this meeting, Village staff met with financial consultants from Baker Tilly and Speer Financial, along with the schematic design team.
The initial design options were informed by best practices and priorities established during the Design Charrette, incorporating feedback from the public survey, Open House, and discussion with Police Department and Village Hall staff. As cost pressures increased, Village staff directed the design team to evaluate reduction strategies that would maintain operational efficiency and community goals while ensuring financial feasibility. The schematic design team came up with the “Good/Better/Best” framework, illustrating how varying levels of scope and investment influence functionality, cost, and overall project balance. This effort refined and scaled the preferred scheme to align with fiscal realities while upholding the project’s core vision and priorities.
As the design team refined the program and budget, a nearby property became available for purchase, providing the Village with a unique opportunity for potential cost and space savings associated with the Police Department portion of this project. The Village requested that the design team explore an option, under the lens of the “Better” scheme, that relocated the Police Department to the nearby property at 11 Madison to potentially relieve both physical and financial constraints related to the existing site. Following this direction, the design team developed two options: The Municipal Campus Concept, which kept the Police Department on the current site with an above-grade parking deck, and the Multi-site Concept, which relocated the Police Department to 11 Madison.
For the purposes of discussion with the Village Board, Village staff requested that the design team present an expanded overview of each option analyzing key features and value added, a design matrix for each option, side-by-side, estimated construction costs to provide a comparative view of costs and optionality, and an evaluation matrix that measured each option against the eight metrics for success identified by the schematic design team, the Facility Review Committee, Village staff, and the Village Board.
Timing Considerations
The cost estimates provided by MCC that coincide with the concept designs and optionality presented assume that the construction timeline begins in or around the first quarter of 2027. Therefore, to maintain the integrity of these cost estimates, the Village Board would need to provide direction on a preferred concept design as soon as possible so the design team can commence the design process. The entire design process is anticipated to take approximately 12-18 months to complete, depending on the amount of value engineering required.
As has been discussed in the past, in relation to this project and others, the longer a project is delayed, the more likely it is for a total cost increase. In the case of the Police Department portion of this project, which will require the most new construction versus renovation, Village staff requested that the design consultants quantify those increases based on a one-year (Q1 2028), three-year (Q1 2030), and five-year delay (Q1 2032). Those delays would cost the Village an additional $3.5 million (5.5%), $8 million (12.5%), and $13.4 million (21%), respectively.
Budget Impact
There is no expenditure directly associated with the selection of an option following this presentation. The selected option and optionality will be finalized and brought back to the Village Board for further review before moving into schematic design, all of which is included in the current professional services agreement with Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, Inc., approved on December 3, 2024 (RES 24-358).
The estimated construction costs associated with the Municipal Campus concept and the Multi-site concept represent order of magnitude numbers that have the potential to increase or decrease based on optionality choices and future value engineering. These presented costs do not include design engineering, construction engineering, property acquisition or soft costs, which are not bondable.
Staffing Impact
While this item aligns with the Public Works Department’s core service delivery, as depicted in the Prior Board Action section, the entire process has demanded cross-department involvement over several years.
Village staff have been working with the schematic design team since December 2024 to review previous feedback from Village staff, the Village Board, and the Facility Review Committee to put together two equally beneficial and financially mindful design options for Village Board review. While this process demanded significant Village staff and consultant(s) time, the actual hours associated with this project are unquantifiable, at this time.
DEI Impact
Renovating Village Hall not only enhances the functionality and appearance of the space but also provides the opportunity to strengthen community ties, promote inclusivity, and acknowledge the diverse needs of the Village’s population.
Building a new Police Department could transform not only the working conditions for the members of law enforcement who serve the community but also their relationship with that community. Pulling the Police Department out of the basement could further foster a culture of trust, transparency, accountability, and collaboration that benefits everyone in the community. This approach could lead to better policing outcomes, improved community safety, and a stronger sense of belonging among all residents.
Community Input
As part of the community engagement process, the Village hosted two surveys and an Open House at Village Hall in January 2025. The first survey was posted on Engage Oak Park to elicit feedback from community members. The second survey was posted to Open Forms, and the link was shared with internal Village Hall users. The community input received was previously presented to the Village Board as part of the February 11, 2025 board item associated with the Police Station Improvement Project.
Staff Recommendation
Village staff recommend the Multi-site Concept design.
Advantages:
• As part of relocating the Police Department, cost savings are achieved through the renovation of an existing building combined with a new addition and an above-grade parking structure.
• Removing the Police Department from the Village Hall site provides room for an expansion of the new council chambers outside of the current building footprint, which provides more usable space for the Village staff.
• Choosing this concept preserves the existing green space on site and maintains the location of the existing parking lot.
• The Police Department would be consolidated within a single facility, bringing all program functions under one roof.
Disadvantages:
• For this option, the acquisition of property increases the total cost of the project; however, the multi-site concept design remains the most cost-effective option.
• Relocating the Police Department would require modifications to the existing residential street configuration at Madison and Humphrey Avenues.
• While the Police Department would still be close to Village Hall (approximately 2 blocks), the Police Department and Village Hall staff would not benefit from their current proximity.
Alternatives
Alternative 1:
The Village Board can choose to advance the single-site Municipal Campus concept.
Advantages:
• This concept does not require the acquisition of property for construction, allowing for construction to begin without delay following the completion of the design process.
• The Police Department would still share the same close proximity that currently exists, allowing for continued close collaboration between Village Hall and Police Department staff.
• The single site concept allows for flexibility in optionality, allowing for further phasing of the project to meet scheduling and financing needs.
Disadvantages:
• Complex constructability and required phasing for this concept increases the overall costs and construction time.
• Critical functions for Village Hall and the Police Department would need to be temporarily relocated during construction.
• The existing green space and parking lot on site would be used for construction of the Police Department and the required above grade parking structure, effectively removing the buffer between Village facilities and the surrounding neighbors.
• The pressure that will be put on the existing site during construction would likely impact both Village staff and the surrounding neighbors.
Alternative 2:
The Village Board can delay action to gain additional information.
Advantages:
• Taking additional time to design and further develop the Board’s vision for the project could result in a different approach than currently represented by the Board’s goals that may better align with an updated perspective on the project, based upon new insights gained through the current design process.
• A delay could provide time to address any additional concerns articulated by the Village Board, further review or secure funding mechanisms, or pursue potential municipal partnerships.
Disadvantages:
• Additionally, delaying this project will lead to increased costs. As discussed in the Timing Considerations section, a one-year (Q1 2028), three-year (Q1 2030), and five-year delay (Q1 2032) will cost the Village an additional $3.5 million (5.5%), $8 million (12.5%), and $13.4 million (21%), respectively.
• The time and resources spent waiting could lead to missed opportunities, such as changes in market conditions or the chance to invest in other projects.
• Delays could disrupt the momentum of the project, leading to a loss of interest from stakeholders and community members.
• Additional time would allow room to change the project scope or add new features, which could complicate and lengthen the project even further.
• Frequent delays could harm the reputation of the Village, leading to a loss of trust among involved contractors, future partners, and the community.
• Delaying this project could lead to scheduling conflicts with other projects, potentially making it harder to secure the same labor and materials when the project is eventually resumed.
Alternative 3:
The Village Board can provide direction to Village staff to pause the project indefinitely.
Advantages:
• No additional staff or financial resources would be committed to this project until otherwise directed by a future Village Board.
• Staff or financial resources could be redirected to other priorities.
Disadvantages:
• Delaying this project indefinitely could make it difficult to recruit and retain valuable Village and Police Department staff to develop, implement, and manage Village programs and services that directly benefit community members.
• The Village Board's goal to ensure a healthy working environment would be further deferred.
• A priority recommendation from the Berry Dunn Community Safety Study would be delayed indefinitely.
Anticipated Future Actions
Village staff plan to return to the Village Board in the first quarter of 2026 to finalize direction received from the Village Board on the preferred option and advance it to schematic design.
Prepared By: Erin Duffy, Deputy Public Works Director
Reviewed By: Rob Sproule, Public Works Director
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Oak Park Municipal Campus - Concept Design Schemes Report