OVER THE TOP. Donate now.
Details on page 9
W E D N E S D A Y
December 30, 2020 Vol. 40, No. 22 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
2020 YEAR IN REVIEW
Glimpses of OPRF building design upgrade Time-lapse video, 3-D renderings show how campus will appear after phase one renovations are completed next year By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
months. Seasons changed, certainly, but the elasticity of time stretched the days into what felt like decades. The year also flew by, snapping like a rubber band sent soaring across the room, with many wondering, “How is it almost January already?” The passage of time feels particularly disorienting this year because so much happened, at a furiously fast pace, despite most of us not going anywhere and not seeing anyone. A revue, rather than a review, feels more fitting for 2020, as the year’s events read more like a Greek tragedy with several miserable plotlines unfolding over multiple acts, while the desperate audience yearns for the curtain to close.
Earlier this month, District 200 administrators, along with the district’s hired contractors and architects, gave the most complete picture yet of what Oak Park and River Forest High School might look like by this time next year. They also gave updates on the status of the roughly $32.6 million phase one Imagine OPRF projects, which include constructing or renovating classrooms, a student resource center, the south cafeteria, the main entrance, science labs and special education space, among other work. Josh Czerniak, with FGM Architects, the district’s architect of record, said during a regular meeting on Dec. 17 that they were able to reduce costs on work related to the phase one projects by approximately $260,000. The cost-savings, he said, came “through budget realignment work and value engineering with things that don’t really effect program or spaces. So, in this instance, we were able to make cost-reductions through revising the HVAC and electrical systems without sacrificing performance.” Ashley Stapleton, with Pepper Construction, said
See YEAR IN REVIEW on page 6
See OPRF CONSTRUCTION on page 10
2020 — what a year! Time raced, and stood still, as Oak Park adapted By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The world will collectively let out a sigh of relief when the clock strikes midnight, Dec. 31, 2020. While the new year won’t immediately solve many of the previous year’s challenges, it is hard not to look at the future with a sense of urgent hope – hope that maybe, just maybe, a fresh start will do us all good. As we reflect on what has been an objectively miserable year, it’s hard to comprehend that so much happened in just 12
SUBSCRIBE! O N LY $ 4 1 A Y E A R !
@OakPark.com/subscribe • Enter “FREE MONTH” in comments for...you guessed it...a FREE month!