village of Homewood in December, is slated to be
the home of the proposed community science
center. (Photo by Eric Crump/HF Chronicle)
Quick look:
- Trustees approve $100,000 budget adjustment to pay for the next phase of planning.
- Vote is 5-1, with Trustee Ray Robertson against the measure, citing concerns about the location.
- Project leader Rachael Jones and two members of the local advisory board introduce the conceptual plan.
- Early estimates of project scope and cost.
Homewood trustees voted 5 to 1 on Tuesday, July 28, to keep the community science center project moving forward.
The board directed staff to proceed with the planning process and approved a $100,000 budget amendment to pay for the next phase of the planning process, including $95,000 for consulting services from Exploratorium, the San Fransisco-based progenitor of modern science learning centers and up to $5,000 for travel expenses.
The unbudgeted expense for the next phase will be paid for with proceeds from the sale of village property to Menards, according to a memo to the board from Village Manager Jim Marino.
The vote came after a presentation led by Rachael Jones, science center project coordinator, with help from two members of the local advisory board, Betsy Soehren-Jones and Irv Anderson.
Locally driven
Jones emphasized the local contribution to the planning process so far.
project leader, introduces the
conceptual plan during the
Homewood board of trustees
meeting Tuesday, July 28.
The Exploratorium contributed knowledge about comparable community science center programs, exhibits and operations, but the local group helped shape that information into a proposal designed to fit Homewood’s culture and aspirations, she said.
Although one of the main goals of developing the center is to make Homewood a destination for visitors, Jones said to be successful it also has to appeal to local residents.
“This is a Homewood community science center. The conceptual plan was created based on the feedback from the community and what we’re looking for in a science center,” she said. “We want (residents) to be able to use it on a daily basis.”
In addition to consulting with the local advisory board, Exploratorium consultants met with representatives from school districts 153, 161 and 233; Homewood-Flossmoor Park District; and Homewood Public Library to get a sense of current STEM program offerings in the village and consider how the science center could complement and extend those opportunities, Jones said.
The design will attempt to create a place that appeals to people of a wide range of ages and interests, she said, including those who aren’t necessarily big science fans.
Sustainability
Soehren-Jones followed Jones, and she addressed several practical issues she wants to see addressed as the plan develops.
addresses trustees as part
of a presentation about the
community science center
conceptual plan.
“I’m always looking at dollars and cents,” she said. “How do we fund this so it is not a drain on the city’s resources? It’s got to be self-funding, sustainable.”
While the village is investing in the planning process, village officials have said the goal is to have the funding for the development and operation of the center come from other sources.
The conceptual plan estimates the operating budget would be between $900,000 and $1.6 million. The plan includes several options for repurposing the former Ryan Funeral Home but does not include an estimate for renovation costs. The total cost of development without renovations included could be between $3.68 million and $6.47 million.
Workforce of the future
Soehren-Jones, who works for ComEd, said she is also interested in the center as an investment in the future of her field.
“Looking at our workforce, we’ve got at or above 60 percent retirement within the next five to 10 years,” she said, noting that attracting a new generation to STEM careers works best if children discover an interest in science and technology early on, something the science center’s hands-on experiences will be designed to do.
The facility
Anderson then provided the board with an overview of early plans for the space.
science center advisory
board, describes early plans
for developing the space in
the proposed science center.
He said the plan calls for a main gallery with dozens of permanent exhibits. The main gallery would also include a life lab for biological exhibits, a digital media lab for media projects and exhibits and an explainer hub, where a docent would be available to provide information and explanations about the science concepts demonstrated by the exhibits.
The center will also include a gallery for rotating exhibits that would be developed around specific themes and be available for limited time periods.
“The intent here is that a lot of the exhibits in this section will actually be created by Homewood residents,” he said. “This is part of the process of making this very community oriented.”
Residents would have opportunities to use the “building and making” lab for science camps and workshops. And there are plans for outdoor exhibits.
The conceptual plan includes two main options for developing the space. One would use the existing structure only, and the other would include expanding into the building’s current parking perimeter to enable inclusion of a cafe and more retail space.
Opposition
The space and location were key to Trustee Ray Robertson’s dissenting vote on the measure to move forward with the project.
He voted against the purchase of the former funeral home when the village opted to purchase it in December and said then that he thought the village was rushing into the purchase before a fully developed plan was made.
“I think the concept is great,” he said, but he urged the board to consider complications of the project before committing more village money to the planning process.
He cited the estimate of 60,000 to 115,000 visitors to the center a year, which he said would average nearly 170 visitors per day at the low end of the estimate.
“What are we going to do for parking?” he asked.
He noted that if the building is extended and outdoor exhibits developed, the little bit of parking space around the building now could be gone.
He also noted that according to the conceptual plan, smaller science centers have higher operating costs than larger facilities. He wondered whether it would be realistic to raise the startup costs.
“I just think some of these things should be looked at internally before we commit another $100,000 to this project,” he said.
Support for the project
The other five members of the board were enthusiastic about the project and eager to move forward.
“I think what I’m most excited about is the local aspect of this,” Trustee Anne Colton said. “So many of the people involved with this are from Homewood. They get Homewood.”
She also lauded the potential for economic benefit to the community by adding to its attractiveness as a destination.
Trustees Barbara Dawkins and Lisa Purcell noted that their children and others would benefit from the learning opportunities the center would provide.
Trustee Karen Washington said she appreciated the inclusiveness of the center’s proposed programming.
“There are so many activities that are strictly for gifted students, and this is wonderful that it’s going to be for all of the children in Homewood and other towns as well,” she said.
Trustee Jay Heiferman, who is the board’s liaison to the project, said he was impressed with the resources the Exploratorium team is bringing to the project’s fundraising efforts, noting that those resources will help especially with grant applications.
The next phase
Marino said the next phase would focus on creating designs for the center, a capital budget, programs and a plan for staffing and fundraising.
He said he expected the second phase to be done by Dec. 1 but added that fundraising efforts would begin before then.
Project leaders
In addition to Anderson and Soehren-Jones, the advisory board includes Rita Davenport, Mike Dominik, Nathan Legardy, Amanda Gerardy, Barry Latham, Pamela Guimond, Jeannette LaPlante, Craig Schmidt, Jeff Maharry and John P. Farris.
In addition to Rachael Jones and Heiferman, the project leadership team includes Mayor Richard Hofeld, Marino and Police Chief Larry Burnson.
Photos by Eric Crump/HF Chronicle.
Related stories:
Residents tinker with community science center idea (HF Chronicle, April 22, 2015)
Homewood community science center project moves forward (HF Chronicle, Feb. 11, 2015)
Homewood trustees OK pursuit of science center development, agree to purchase Ryan’s Funeral Home (HF Chronicle, Dec. 23, 2014)