W E D N E S D A Y
December 7, 2022 Vol. 43, No. 19
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
THE MOST WONDER FUL G UIDE O F THE YEAR! See INSIDE
Critics and supporters of OPRF’s $100M project speak up The pool, equity and financing spark debate By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
Not surprisingly the unveiling of the schematic design and projected $99.5 million cost for what is called Project 2 at Oak Park and River Forest High School has provoked numerous public comments at recent meetings of the OPRF District 200 Board of Education and at the Nov. 9 meeting of the district’s Community Finance Committee. The plan to demolish the southeast portion of the current building and build new physical education facilities, including a new 10-lane, 25-by-40-yard swimming pool with three diving stations and a 420-seat observation gallery, plus some theater and dance space upgrades, is ambitious and expensive. “This is the biggest project in the history of the world around here,” said one member of the Community Finance Committee at the committee’s Nov. 9 meeting. Supporters of Project 2 say the current physical education facilities, including two nearly century-old swimming pools, are woefully outdated and improvements are long overdue.
Drones over Scoville
Holiday light show in Oak Park makes up for lack of July 4 fireworks SEE MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
See PROJECT 2 on page 14