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Highland Park says it will move forward with Rose Garden as primary place of remembrance, Port Clinton Square as secondary
Summary
Mayor Rotering told the City Council the city will proceed with a prominent memorial at the Rose Garden and a subtle recognition at Port Clinton Square, and will issue a national request for qualifications for design; the decision followed a consultant-led community study of nearly 1,000 respondents and family input.
Mayor Rotering said the city will move forward with a prominent primary place of remembrance at the Rose Garden and a subtle secondary place of remembrance at Port Clinton Square, citing consultant research and family input. The city will issue a national request for qualifications for design and expects to select a firm in early fall.
The decision follows a human-centered study by DuTech that the mayor said collected nearly 1,000 online survey responses, plus focus groups and one-on-one interviews with victims, family members and people who were injured. "Based on the wealth of data collected, the thorough analysis prepared by the consultant team, and a thoughtful conversation among the council, we'll be moving forward with a prominent primary place of remembrance at the Rose Garden and a subtle secondary place of remembrance at Port Clinton Square," Mayor Rotering said.
Mayor Rotering and staff said the approach is intended to balance preferences for a quiet, spacious memorial site and the desire to have recognition at the shooting location. The mayor said the city-appointed working group, formed in 2023, researched other places of remembrance and made recommendations to the council through public meetings.
City staff described next steps: issuing a national request for qualifications for design this spring/summer, selecting a firm in early fall, and requiring the chosen design team to conduct significant public engagement. "Whoever is chosen will be charged with significant public engagement so that all stakeholders are involved throughout the design process," Mayor Rotering said.
The mayor publicly thanked Lake County State's Attorney Eric Reinhardt, city staff, first responders and the working group for their roles in the research and outreach. The council retains final decision-making authority and staff said the process will continue with additional public meetings and the formal design procurement.
