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A Motion to Advance the Police Department Component of the Oak Park Municipal Campus Project to Design Development and Direct Staff to Negotiate a Professional Services Agreement with Johnson, Lasky & Kindelin Architects, Inc. for Preparation and Delivery of the Required Construction Documents.
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Introduction
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In February 2026, the Village Board provided direction to advance the Multi-site Oak Park Municipal Campus (OMPC) conceptual option to schematic design. Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects (JLK) and the schematic design team have completed this portion of the design process, have provided the components of the schematic design package for review, and, now, based on prior Village Board feedback, Village staff seek direction on advancing the Police Department portion of the OPMC project through the remaining phases of the design process.
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Recommended Action
Adopt the Motion and Advance the Police Department Phase of the Oak Park Municipal Campus project to design development.
Prior Board Action
• On June 23, 2026, the Village Board provided direction to Village staff on the preferred construction delivery method for the Police Department component of the Oak Park Municipal Campus project. The Village Board concurred with staff’s recommended construction delivery method of Construction Manager at Risk (MOT 26-179).
• On February 10, 2026, the Village Board chose to advance a preferred multi-site Oak Park Municipal Campus concept to schematic design with Johnson, Lasky, Kindelin Architects (MOT 26-104).
• On November 20, 2025, Johnson Lasky Kindelin Architects, along with the schematic design team, shared two conceptual design options with the Village Board, highlighting the financial and operational advantages and disadvantages of each option. The Village Board chose a preferred conceptual design option, the Multi-Site concept, to further explore the estimated costs of optionality and phasing (MOT 25-262).
• 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
In February 2026, the Village Board voted to advance the Multi-site Concept of the Oak Park Municipal Campus to the schematic design phase, highlighting its cost advantages, improved programmatic outcomes, and sustainability associated with relocating the Police Department to an existing building and retrofitting and expanding it to meet the needs of the Department. While the Police Department option seemed intuitive, the Village Board was split on its approach to Village Hall and Council Chambers, citing concerns about the added costs of relocating Council Chambers despite the existing room’s lack of modern accessibility and safety/security standards.
Throughout the schematic design phase, the design team has continued to meet with Village stakeholders and various department management to further refine programming space needs through the lens of cost efficiency. While refining these needs and determining the required space for Police Department and Village Hall functions, the design team has been able to identify efficiencies from the conceptual drawings that have added cost savings. For example, during one of our stakeholder meetings with the Police Department, the design team was able to gather additional information regarding the number of lanes needed in the firing range. This allowed the firing range to be relocated, which allowed for cost savings due to a decrease in the amount of excavation needed to accommodate the required space. These cost savings on excavation were then able to be reallocated to other areas of the Police Department, allowing for the creation of additional, existing, and occupiable space that previously needed to be storage space only.
In addition to the presentation that JLK and the schematic design team will provide, this board item includes, as attachments, all of the narratives and line-item cost estimates associated with both the Police Department component, as well as the Village Hall component, of the Oak Park Municipal Campus project. Detailed drawings, outside of those included in the presentation, are available for in-person review, upon request, but were omitted from the attachments for safety and security reasons. Based on the information contained in the narratives, it is possible to review the level of detail to which both of the components of the project have been broken down. All existing conditions, new MEP systems, site design and streetscape, technology, and interior design of both components have been refined further from conceptual designs to prepare for design development and value engineering. All of these categories also have associated cost estimates, based on a Q4 2027 construction date, that will aid in the cost-benefit analysis as part of value engineering.
At this time, the Village Board has expressed that the Police Department portion of the Oak Park Municipal Campus is the priority. As such, this is the only portion of the project that has been explored by Village staff as part of the preferred construction delivery method, construction manager at risk, and is the only component of the project that Village staff are seeking direction to advance through the remaining phases of the design process.
Timing Considerations
The cost estimates provided by MCC, which coincide with the schematic design of both the Police Department and Village Hall and their corresponding optionality, assume that the construction timeline begins in or around the fourth quarter of 2027. Therefore, to maintain the integrity of these cost estimates, the Village Board would need to advance the schematic designs to the design development phase as soon as possible so the design team can proceed through the remaining phases of the design process, including design development, value engineering, and preparation of construction/bid documents. The remainder of the design process is anticipated to take approximately 9 to 12 months to complete, depending on the amount of value engineering required to reach the desired construction costs.
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 the total cost to increase. Village staff requested that the design consultants quantify those increases for both the Police Department and Village Hall, based on a one-year (2028), three-year (2030), and five-year delay (2032). Those delays would cost the Village an additional 5.5%, 12.5%, and 21%, respectively.
Financial Impact
Once the schematic design is advanced to design development by the Village Board, Village staff are prepared with the necessary documents to execute a new professional services agreement with JLK Architects that will take the project through the entire design process, along with the associated budget amendment to cover the expenditure. In general, the design engineering phase is approximately 10-15% of the total cost of construction.
Operations 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 has 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 design options for Village Board review. While this process has demanded significant Village staff and consultant(s) time, the actual hours associated with this project are unquantifiable at this time. There has been a biweekly, hour-long standing meeting for most of the schematic design process, along with various lengthy programming and design meetings to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page in relation to both the Police Department and Village Hall designs.
DEI Impact
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 and was meant 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 recommends advancing the schematic design of the Police Department component of the Oak Park Municipal Campus project through to the remainder of the design process, including design development and preparation of construction/bid documents.
Advantages:
• By advancing the schematic design for the Police Department through the remainder of the design process, the Village Board would be able to gain further clarity on budget expectations once layouts, materials, and costs are identified in further detail. Advancing into design development also allows for the pivotal portion of design, value engineering, to commence as stakeholders begin a cost-benefit analysis of equipment preferences, materials choices, and layout efficiencies.
• Once the schematic design is advanced through to design development, the Village Board could then begin the process of securing financing and additional services, such as construction manager at risk services, the Village Board’s preferred delivery method.
Disadvantages:
• Advancing schematic design through the remainder of the design process will create momentum for the project that will be hard to slow down.
• The remaining phases of the design process require additional consultant time. If the project pauses or slows down following schematic design, some of those fees may be lost due to the need to repeat work.
Alternatives
Alternative 1:
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 (2028), three-year (2030), and five-year delay (2032) will cost the Village an additional 5.5 percent, 12.5 percent, and 21 percent, respectively.
• The time and resources spent waiting could lead to missed opportunities, such as changes in market conditions or the change 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 2:
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
A professional services agreement with Johnson, Lasky, Kindelin Architects will be brought to the Village Board for approval for the design development phase through preparation of construction documents for the Police Department component of the Oak Park Municipal Campus project. Since design engineering is generally a percentage of the total cost of construction, it is anticipated that this agreement will be a consent agenda item in the near future.
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. Schematic Design Presentation
2. OPMC- PD Schematic Design Narratives
3. OPMC- PD Schematic Design Cost Estimates
4. OPMC- VH Schematic Design Narratives
5. OPMC- VH Schematic Design Cost Estimates