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DuPage County committee plans March 1 focus group for Heritage Gallery; committee to shape display content
Summary
The county's ad hoc committee overseeing the Heritage Gallery scheduled a March 1 focus group with Taylor Studio staff to gather community input on exhibit content; members discussed the project's scope, consultant involvement and budget for design phases.
DuPage County’s Heritage Gallery ad hoc committee scheduled a public focus group for March 1 at 1 p.m. in Room 2500B to gather stakeholder input on the gallery’s schematic design and display content, and to solicit community ideas about persons and stories to feature in the gallery.
Jeff (county staff) said Taylor Studio staff will be on-site that day to discuss schematic design and to seek input on the gallery’s content, a survey and future display elements. “They've collected all this data, basically. Now they want to see… how local residents, citizens, or whatever,” Jeff said, describing the firm’s goal of collecting community priorities for the gallery’s interior displays.
Committee members raised questions about format and reach. One committee member said the prior Taylor presentation had left questions and asked whether Taylor would present the same materials; another member asked for evening hours to accommodate working residents. Committee members also discussed involving local history experts and institutions: a staff member noted that the DuPage Historical Society and countywide museums have been contacted and would contribute input. Participants named local museum partners and neighborhood organizations already engaged, including the Lombard Museum, West Chicago Museum and Naperville historical partners.
The committee reviewed project funding and phase costs: Jeff stated the current design contract for Taylor Studio is $30,000; continuing to design development would add approximately $15,000, bringing design-phase spending to about $45,000. Committee members noted the board previously authorized up to $150,000 for the overall project and that construction-phase options could increase the total if the committee proceeds beyond concept design.
Committee members said the ad hoc group will prepare content recommendations and present them back to the committee and, ultimately, the county board for final approval. The county will post a flyer and a YouTube link following the focus group; staff said the survey link and electronic materials will be shared with board members and a broader distribution list.
Next steps include the March 1 focus-group meeting, posting the flyer and survey online, and collecting stakeholder input to shape the gallery’s content before any move to design development or construction.
