'Too Bland': Burr Ridge Mayor Wants Village Hall To Stand Out

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge's mayor wants the new Village Hall to stand out, saying the current sketches seem "bland."

"I don't want to lose an opportunity to make a statement," Mayor Gary Grasso said at Monday's Village Board meeting. "This community does sell an image. We are a very special place. We proudly put that out there."

Burr Ridge is selling its 40-year-old Village Hall, with officials saying it's in bad shape.

Because of that, the town plans to build a front addition to the neighboring police station to house village offices.

The new Village Board meeting room is going to be more than twice as large.

At the meeting, architect Evan Menk of Legat Architects presented exterior and interior sketches.

Grasso said what he saw looked "too bland" and "institutionalized."

"This is not anyone's boardroom," he said. "This is Burr Ridge's boardroom."

Village Administrator Evan Walter said the firm hadn't produced aesthetic designs.

"What we're trying to agree on tonight is, 'Do the walls look right where they're at?'" he said. "Then we're going to come back with the colored pencils."

Trustee Guy Franzese said the addition should reflect the existing police station.

"I don't want this addition to look like it was added on 20 years later," he said. "I want it to look like it was all built at the same time."

Grasso agreed. He asked whether the police station, built in 2010, required an "aesthetic adjustment."

Menk said some elements of the existing building are dated and "have not worn well."

"There are certainly updates that could be warranted to help tie old and new together more closely to make them all look like one," the architect said.

Grasso suggested the village could seek donations to adjust the look of the existing police station as part of the project.

In August, the Village Board agreed to pay Legat up to $250,000 for the building designs.

The addition is expected to cost $5.8 million.