Hinsdale native Dave Knecht, who has built custom homes in the area since 1993, will construct a new permanent pavilion at Burlington Park after the village board reviewed a $341,121.94 contract on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Dave Knecht Homes emerged as the recommended contractor after bids from other firms were rejected in April for exceeding the project's $350,000 target cost. The pavilion will replace the existing stage on the park's west end at 30 E. Chicago Ave.
The project is funded entirely through private donations and cost reductions, according to Village President Greg Hart.
How the numbers work
Knecht's gross bid came in at $653,933. Three offsets brought the net price under budget: an $85,296 personal donation from Knecht himself, a $100,000 gift from Hinsdale resident James Bouchard, and $127,515 in value-engineered savings through design changes that reduced costs. Additional donors include UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale Hospital and the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce, though their specific amounts have not been disclosed.
Hart said donations already exceed the projected cost by $17,000, suggesting the surplus could cover landscaping expenses.
"It preserves the vision, produces an objectively beautiful final product, comes in under budget and is 100 percent funded through community-sourced private donations," Hart said at the July 1 meeting. "No village tax dollars are being used for the construction of this pavilion, and that is a remarkable thing."
The contractor
Knecht has built more than 450 custom homes in the Hinsdale area since founding his first company, Northridge Builders Inc., in 1993. He launched Dave Knecht Homes in 2012, broadening into light commercial work.
Trustee Scott Banke, also a Hinsdale native, said at the meeting that he valued awarding the work to someone with deep local roots. Banke also asked Knecht to consider instituting a cost cap to prevent the village from paying for unanticipated overages.
Design and timeline
Local architect Michael Abraham designed the pavilion pro bono. The structure will feature a custom cupola that mimics the one atop the Memorial Building, according to village records. A community-wide survey found 72 percent of respondents supported the permanent pavilion concept, and a working group including representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, AdventHealth, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Commission selected the design in February 2026.
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Saturday, July 4, at Burlington Park. The July 1 board review authorized the project to advance; trustees are scheduled to vote on the formal contract at their Tuesday, July 21, board meeting. If approved, construction would begin in late summer after the final Uniquely Thursdays concert.
Village Manager Kathleen Gargano said landscaping around the pavilion will follow construction, based on a larger park improvement plan already in the village budget.
