$6M Central Athletic Center Project Moves Ahead

HINSDALE, IL – The plan for a $6 million overhaul of Hinsdale Central High School's athletic facility is moving forward.

According to the school district, a request for proposals was issued Nov. 6, with a deadline of next Thursday.

After that, an evaluation committee that includes staff, three residents with construction experience and likely school board members is set to review the proposals.

At its Dec. 18 meeting, the board is expected to choose a firm.

Hinsdale District 86 officials say the district is expected to cover design costs, while a local group plans to raise the rest.

Fundraising continues with the search for a naming-rights donor, according to the district.

The facility, called the Bouchard Center, is named after the Bouchard family, who made a $250,000 donation to it, the Hinsdalean newspaper reported earlier this year. The publication said brothers Jim and Craig Bouchard went to Central in the 1970s.

The project would feature an expanded athletic training facility, an expanded weight-training area and the addition of restrooms, says the local group pushing the overhaul.

The group has created a website called "Bouchard Center Transformation."

The school board discussed the project in September.