Photo Credit: David Huh / Dewberry
In November 2010, a fire destroyed a maintenance facility and garage belonging to the park district in Glenview, Ill. Built in 1909, the 14,000-square-foot building was operated by the park district since 1953. In addition to housing approximately 30 full- and part-time members of the maintenance staff, including plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists, pool-maintenance staff, and custodians, the building included a welding shop, carpentry shop, offices, a greenhouse, and storage for forklifts and other equipment.
Loss of the maintenance facility greatly impacted the operations of the district, which is one of the state’s largest and serves approximately 50,000 residents in a suburban area north of Chicago. With the loss of space, the district’s other maintenance facility became crowded and inefficient, leading to longer response times and extra expenditures. It was clear that a replacement facility was needed. In 2013, the district selected the consulting firm of Dewberry to design a new building on the same site. The project budget of $3,662,287 was based on a combination of the insurance settlement and impact fees paid by developers.
Ongoing Community Engagement
The park district’s mission focuses on safety, professionalism, fiscal responsibility, stewardship, public involvement, and partnership. These attributes helped shape the planning and design of the new maintenance facility from the start. In particular, the district had a long-held practice of involving the community in the development of all capital projects. Given the facility’s location within a residential area, local residents were understandably concerned about the new building’s size and location as well as its appearance.