Architect teams pitch competing visions for Proviso West sports complex; board hears community concerns

Proviso Township High School District 209 officials on March 10 heard three finalist architectural teams present competing plans for a proposed Proviso West sports complex and discussed schedule, site constraints and community engagement.

The presentations, delivered by shortlisted teams, emphasized different approaches to siting, circulation and community use. Allison Sternquist, a Chicago-region PK–12 practice lead with one finalist team, described a team “built for the long term” and emphasized local staffing and bilingual outreach. Juan Moreno, president and founder of JGMA, framed his firm’s proposals around community engagement, saying the team had built “an app so that a community can constantly have contact with us,” and outlined a vision that links entry promenades, multiuse fields and a “Panther Plaza” to amplify school identity.

Designers flagged regulatory and site challenges the board will need to address. Presenters highlighted traffic and queuing concerns at Wolf Road, the need for stormwater and soil investigations, and schedule constraints tied to permitting. The design discussion noted proximity to a neighboring cemetery and the need to respect a regulated setback; presenters warned the board that state or local rules could limit certain uses within a defined buffer zone and recommended continued neighbor outreach before final siting decisions.

The board also heard other routine reports. The treasurer reported year-to-date revenues of $63,700,000 (about 50% of a $127,000,000 annual revenue estimate) and year-to-date expenditures of $73,700,000 (about 61% of a $121,000,000 annual expenditure budget), and said the district is monitoring a roughly $9,000,000 gap tied to tax-collection timing. Student board members provided program updates and upcoming events.

Public comment included a statement from a district librarian who identified herself at the lectern as Patricia Ajay and—earlier in the meeting—was announced in the public-comment list as Patricia Ejetti. She described a workplace incident involving school administrators, said she has been documenting grievances and asked the board to listen. “I began documenting and finding those grievances,” she said, noting she was pursuing the district’s grievance process and that some details were not appropriate for public record.

Votes and routine approvals: the board approved policy 7-1-30 as presented, granted an unpaid academic leave request for a PMSA teacher for the 2026–27 academic year, adopted minutes from the Feb. 10 meeting, approved the posted bill list dated 03/09/2026 as read at the meeting, and approved the personnel report including hires and separations. All motions were approved by roll-call vote as recorded in the meeting.

What’s next: The board will evaluate the three finalist teams and next steps described in presentations (further site investigations, traffic and permitting studies, and community engagement). The board also continues routine budget monitoring and will return to the sports-complex selection and design schedule in subsequent meetings.