The Skokie Park Board Tuesday unanimously approved hiring an architect to design a new home for the Park District’s Park Services maintenance facility.
After some 60 years, the Park District is moving from 7701 Skokie Boulevardto newly-purchased property at 7500 Frontage Road, said Skokie Park District Executive Director John Ohrlund.
Superintendent of Parks Michael Rea said a dozen requests were sent to architectural firms “with experience in designing maintenance facilities.”
Rea said five firms submitted proposals, the field was narrowed to four for interviews and then Williams Architects was selected. The Park District has worked with the architecture firm on other projects, officials said.
“Staff felt that Williams Architects had the most experience when it came down to the construction of maintenance facilities, and with our long ongoing relationship, it will be an easy transition into this process,” Rea said.
The Park District’s cost for the firm’s services has not yet been determined, Rea said. Park District staff will now work with the firm to detail the scope of the work and the cost of this phase of the project, he said.
The Park Board last year approved purchasing the Frontage Road property for $3.4 million. A building on the site was occupied by Command Transportation, a truckload broker and operator company, according to the Park District.
Ohrlund said the property is already zoned for a parks maintenance facility and so the building will now be renovated to fit the Park District’s needs. The Park District had outgrown its current home some time ago, he said, and had been looking for a larger location.
According to Park District officials, the move will provide parks maintenance with 30,400 square feet in building space compared to the 11,500 square feet the Park District currently has, as well as having much larger grounds.
The Park District needs outdoor storage space for multiple vehicles and equipment so the expanded grounds was a critical part of finding the right space, Ohrlund said. He said the renovation project should take about a year to complete.
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