DuPage County committee considers memorial for victims of gun violence; seeks design and cost estimate

DuPage County staff presented a conceptual plan for a victims-of-gun-violence memorial and reflection area at a site near the county campus pond and obtained committee consensus to develop a preliminary design and cost estimate.

Staff described the proposed site as a higher area overlooking the pond near the north end of a lightly used parking lot adjacent to the County Farm area and the Children's Advocacy Center. Staff said the site’s limited regular use and view over the pond make it suitable for a small reflection space with benches and a pathway.

Presentation slides showed examples of healing gardens and memorials in Connecticut, Philadelphia and Champaign-Urbana, Ill., and staff suggested the project would likely be modest: a couple of benches, a path and a granite marker or plaque. No project budget is currently dedicated to the memorial; staff said they could produce a design and then return with a hard cost estimate. "We don't know until we get the design done, but I wouldn't think it would be that that expensive," a staff member said.

Committee members and presenters discussed the possibility of involving survivors and community volunteers in planting or maintaining the site; one committee member recounted a personal family history with gun violence and urged support for the project. Members suggested fundraising and community involvement to cover construction and maintenance costs.

Direction: The committee asked staff to prepare a preliminary design and cost estimate and return with options for fundraising and community involvement before any construction funds are approved.