Design Firm Recommended For Highland Park Shooting Memorial

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A working group dedicated to creating a memorial to honor those impacted by the July 4, 2022 shooting in Highland Park decided to recommend a design firm for the future Permanent Place of Remembrance.

According to officials, the sample designs will not be the final design for the memorial, but will provide helpful information about the process to create a Permanent Place of Remembrance.

The city received concept designs for the memorial from four different firms:

• Gordon Huether Studio
• Site Design
• studioSTIGSGAARD
• SWA

Following discussion and feedback from the audience, the working group recommended SWA for the project. SWA's concept plans include designs that connect two separate sites through one message.

The first site at Port Clinton will be civic and outward facing to offer a place for gathering and public remembrance. At Rose Garden site, visitors are invited to a quit, contemplative place near a pool.

"SWA's package best articulated the relationship between the primary site at the Rose Garden and the secondary site at Port Clinton, and seemed most inclusive of seasonality needs specific to our area, ensuring that the final design would remain a meaningful tribute throughout the year, even during winter," the city's Resiliency Division said.

The recommendation will be presented at the Oct. 6 meeting of the Committee of the Whole. At the meeting, the City Council will make a decision on which firm to engage with.

Nothing is set in stone yet, and the city welcomes any feedback from the community at remembrance@cityhpil.com.