Working group recommends SWA Group to design Highland Park’s permanent Place of Remembrance
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Summary
The Place of Remembrance working group recommended that the City of Highland Park enter an agreement with SWA Group to design a permanent memorial that will link a primary site at the Rose Garden with a secondary site at Port Clinton, the Committee of the Whole heard Oct. 6.
The Place of Remembrance working group recommended on Oct. 6 that the city enter an agreement with SWA Group to design the permanent memorial honoring victims of the July shooting, and Council members at the Committee of the Whole expressed broad support for the recommendation.
Assistant City Manager Emily Talis told the council the selection followed a request for qualifications (RFQ) that drew 17 responses, narrowed to four shortlisted firms. The working group focused on firms’ experience with memorial projects, trauma‑informed community engagement, and an approach that would connect a primary site at the Rose Garden with a secondary, subtle reminder at Port Clinton.
SWA presented three concept approaches illustrating how the Rose Garden primary site and the Port Clinton secondary site could function together. Working group members cited SWA’s prior memorial experience, including work on other mass‑casualty memorials, and its stated emphasis on trauma‑informed engagement and seasonality appropriate for the local climate. The working group recommended SWA because members judged the firm best able to guide a sensitive public process and to design sites that would work throughout the year.
Council members praised the working group’s process and SWA’s credentials. Council member Ross — who attended the August working group meeting and reviewed applications in advance — said she found SWA’s interview and body of work ‘‘compelling’’ and noted the firm’s demonstrated attention to stakeholder engagement. Mayor Rotering and other council members highlighted SWA’s national experience with trauma‑informed memorial design and their ability to articulate a connection between the Rose Garden primary site and the Port Clinton secondary site.
Council members raised two practical points the working group will address as staff proceeds: (1) stay within the project budget (council members asked that the selected design team be given clear budget parameters), and (2) set a realistic project timetable; one council member asked staff to pursue the design and construction timeline so that a memorial would be available by July 4, 2027 if feasible. Staff reported SWA’s preliminary design timeline that included a design‑phase completion around December 2026 for one presented schedule; that timeline will be refined in contract negotiations.
Next steps: staff will negotiate a scope and fee with SWA Group and return a proposed agreement to the City Council for formal approval. Staff also said it will continue trauma‑informed outreach to victims and the broader community and maintain public information via the city’s Place of Remembrance project communications.
Ending
The Committee of the Whole expressed support for the working group recommendation; staff will negotiate terms with SWA Group and return a formal contract for council consideration. No formal procurement award or council vote was recorded at this meeting.
