Local architects, builders donated to ECC campaign
Model for a community college building by Studio Gang Architects (Photo by Studio Gang).
The Daily Herald belatedly published a list of donors to the ECC bond referendum campaign:
Burnidge, Cassell and Associates; Architecture; Elgin; $17,500
Carey Electric Contracting, Inc.; Electrical; McHenry;$2,000
DLA Ltd.; Architecture; Elgin; $5,000
F.J. Bero and Company; Plumbing; Elgin; $3,750
IHC Construction; Construction; Elgin; $15,000
KJWW P.C. Engineering; Engineering; Rock Island; $10,000
Kluber, Skahan and Associates; Architecture; Batavia; $22,500
Lamp Inc.; Construction; Elgin; $15,000
Landmark Engineering Group; Engineering; East Moline;$10,000
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local; Plumbing; Aurora; $1,000
Northwest Contractors Inc.; Construction; Hampshire; $1,000
Shales McNutt Construction; Construction; Elgin; $10,000
Jack Shales, Shales McNutt Pres.; Construction; Elgin; $2,500
Singles Roofing; Roofing; Elgin; $5,000
Walker Parking/Construction; Engineers; Elgin; $1,000
Wet Solutions Inc.; Water Treatment; Arlington Hts.; $1,000
[ECC President David] Sam said that the majority of firms donating to the friends of ECC fund “are longtime supporters of the college. … They see the value of ECC, they recruit students from here. They see the college as an asset that enhances businesses. And if they supported it, it’s because of that.”
Umm…yeah.
We will be watching this carefully. It already doesn’t sound good:
Drawings, Sam said, have been completed for the college’s new library and health career center. Pending board final review, Sam said, the two facilities will be “shovel ready” in about six months.
If the ECC trustees want to keep their seats and the college president wants to keep his job they would be wise to slow down. If they aim to be shovel-ready in six months, it will certainly give voters the appearance that they are rushing things through in order to eliminate scrutiny and reduce opportunities for outside (non-donating) bidders. The process of selecting an architect alone should take several months. We are spending $178 million, and we want our money’s worth. We don’t want the job to go to the guy down the block or the guy that gave $20,000.
It’s important that an architecture firm is selected based on its merits. I’m not saying we need to bring in Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid or OMA, but the choice of architects is wide and there are a number of firms in Chicago that do fantastic work. These include, for example, Garofalo Architects, Studio Gang and John Ronan. Their work is internationally recognized and featured in industry publications like Architectural Record. If they are not invited to submit proposals or participate in a design contest, it would be a terrible waste of a once-in-many-decades opportunity.
We already know that we’re not getting a concert hall anytime soon, so this is going to be the last chance in a while to get quality public architecture in Elgin. We are spending $178,000,000. For that we want quality, and we cannot compromise on that.
The bond issue passed–if it did actually pass–by a razor thin margin of 29 votes. I guarantee you that more than 29 people have lost their enthusiasm for this project after seeing the list of donors published in the Daily Herald. If ECC wants to bring supporters back on board, they will need to navigate carefully, not rush things through.
The next ECC press release we need to see is one announcing that the school has retained an architectural competition consulting firm to manage the process of selecting an architect.
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So much for a bad economy in the building trades…
I share your sense of reservation, but unlike you I want a local architect and construction firm to be chosen–and I mean very local, not greater Chicagoland–if possible. Can we really afford a prestige architect? And I would agree with the college president that we need to move quickly: one reason we voted for these capital improvements was that they would reduce the very high unemployment rate for construction workers in our neighborhood–I heard recently that it was near 30%! I think we must demand, as you suggest, a transparent and fair process. Certainly, there will be competitive bids. That’s the way to keep spending on budget and assure no undue influence from donors. But some of the donors, Charles Burnidge of Burnidge Cassell Associates for example, have been longtime supports of many community organizations for decades. We shouldn’t presume that all that charity is a disguise for self-interest. I’m a skeptic, not a cynic.
Right on VoteLocal. Keep it local.
I did some research on this issue. It appears that ECC consistently follows a quality based selection process on all of their contracts. All requests are publicly advertised and follow the Illinois Capital Development procedures. If you go to the ECC website (which I did) you can view all past board agendas. I’d bet that these same contributors gave money in the 2006 referendum–and that one was for operating costs (which means they would not benefit at all). I truly believe that these contributors are giving because the community college is important to them, regardless of the business. I’m not naive in the fact that many will benefit from the business, but ultimately our community will benefit. I also found in an independent study in August 2007 (done by NIU) that for every $1 invested in the community college, the local economy receives $3 back in reinvestment. I don’t want to lose focus on what the most important issues are.
I’ve always been surprised that ECC, especially as it is in the midst of its 60th anniversary observations, does not make more of the fact that the architects for its main campus opening in 1970-71 were from Perkins & Will, even today a leading Chicago firm especially renowned for its school designs. Architectural design, of course, is a matter of taste, but I’ve found that ECC’s fundamental design has held up rather well over the past 40 years - especially when compared to some other expressions of 60’s taste and the “brutalist” school that was then on the design horizon. I think the school should take pride in its campus, and I hope its next design choices reflect that pride and heritage.
Aside from design, however, I voted for the referendum (and would happily do so again regardless of who was contributing) because improved facilities at ECC will help our community and region. It would be a community tragedy to have the school’s accreditation jeopardized by inadequate library or other facilities. Nurse training has always been one of ECC’s most important roles, and a new hospital and aging population will only increase the need for these services. And community colleges are especially important in hard economic times, providing opportunities to young people to start on a four-year degree without leaving home, opportunities to train for productive careers not requiring four-year degrees, and opportunities for older workers to “reinvent” themselves in new careers. Strong community colleges reflect strong commununities, and as the state has cut back on its funding role the communities need to step up.
Finally, however, I certainly did not vote for the referendum to alleviate unemployment in the construction trade. To the extent that there is such a problem, it is one that corrupt contractors brought on themselves. It’s no secret that construction has been one of the biggest consumers and defenders of cheap, illegal alien labor. Heaven forbid that our contractors would have to hire Americans or -horror of horrors - black Americans! Remember how we always hear that illegal aliens are a “federal problem.”? Well, for years the federal government has been trying to implement the E-verify system on federal contractors and subcontractors. Obama - at the request of the US Chamber of Commerce - has pushed that requirement back to May 21. The Chamber and the construction industry through the Associated Builders and Contractors are suing to stop E-verify altogether. This is the greedy constituency that our local Chamber, Mike Warren and the Daily Herald are protecting. Our college should require that work performed at the facility be done by certified legal labor pursuant to E-verify standards. It would be especially offensive to have one of the community’s most noble facilities built by the modern version of foreign slave labor.
Well stated RM.
I am looking forward to a little less than five years from now when I will be 60 and I will be able to take classes at ECC for free because of my age.
Does anyone remember back in 1971 when I was a student at ECC the writer of Go Cubs Go Steve Goodman did a concert there. I want to say that he was the first act for Bonnie Koluc but my memory fails me. He was a nice down to earth guy who wrote a great song called Lincoln Park Pirates about the infamous towing company there. He also wrote the well known song covered by Arlo Guthrie called Riding on the City of New Orleans. Steve was a die hard Cubs fan who did not have Go Cubs Go yet in his repertoire. I believe he was commissioned to write that song by the owner of the Cubs and wrote it shortly before he died of leukemia. I will miss him.
“I am looking forward to a little less than five years from now when I will be 60 and I will be able to take classes at ECC for free because of my age.”
I hope the college will be in a financial position to offer such perks, especially under the demographic tidal wave of aging Boomers. Even now one wonders how much longer the state can - or should - keep Blago’s Metra free ride payoff for the elderly.
I didn’t see Goodman at ECC but agree he was an artist we lost far too soon. 1971 must have been a jumping time out at ECC because the “radical” Chicago 7 lawyer Bill Kunstler brought his act to the school back then, too.
RS, ECC has posted designs for its new buildings on its website. What do you think?
BTW the college is conducting a public open house to display the designs today, November 4 from 3 to 7.
I wish I had known about that open house, but I missed it. I’ll check out the pictures on their website though. Thanks for pointing it out.