Hinsdale trustees locked in $275,000 in private donation agreements Wednesday, Sept. 2, bringing the Burlington Park pavilion closer to construction with most of its $441,121 contract now backed by two major donors.
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale will contribute up to $175,000, and the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce will contribute $100,000, according to The Hinsdalean and village meeting minutes. The hospital will receive naming rights. Both donors will get recognition plaques on the finished structure.
The pavilion at 30 E. Chicago Ave. is entirely privately funded. Additional donors include Hinsdale resident James Bouchard, who gave $100,000, and builder Dave Knecht, who donated services and profits valued at $85,296. Hinsdale architect Michael Abraham donated the design. The broader project has drawn contributions from Hinsdale Bank & Trust, the Honorable Kenneth J. Moy Fund at the DuPage Foundation, and several other families, according to The Hinsdalean's July groundbreaking coverage.
The board voted 5-1 on Monday, Aug. 24 to award the construction contract to Dave Knecht Homes. Trustee Neale Byrnes cast the lone no vote. He questioned whether private donations would hold up.
"That's like saying the Cubs are expected to make the playoffs. But between now and then … suddenly it goes south on you," Byrnes said at the Aug. 24 meeting, as Patch reported. Village President Greg Hart said at the time that pledged donations exceed the contract cost by about $7,000.
The village held a groundbreaking ceremony July 4. Construction is expected to begin after the Uniquely Thursdays concert series wraps up.
Sewer rehab contract tops $499,000
Trustees also awarded a $499,599 contract to Burke LLC for the 2026 sanitary sewer rehabilitation and lining project. The work covers cleaning, spot repairs and trenchless lining of roughly 3,500 linear feet of sanitary sewer, plus replacement of about 120 feet. Much of the work involves sewers in side and rear yards, according to meeting minutes.
Colonial Revival home gets preservation incentive
Trustees authorized a preservation incentive agreement for 311 Forest Road, a two-story Colonial Revival home built around 1940. Planned improvements include a new covered front entry, bluestone stairs and walkway, roofing and shutters. The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously recommended the incentives, which include fee waivers, expedited processing and a $10,000 matching grant toward the estimated $22,000 to $30,000 project.
The village established its Historic Overlay District in September 2022 to help owners of historically significant properties fund restorations. The program caps new incentives at $50,000 per year. The 311 Forest Road homeowners said work could begin in early September.
