DuPage County committee advances west-campus memorial park plan, eyes $40,000 transfer

The DuPage County public works committee on Feb. 17 advanced plans for a memorial park on the county’s west campus and directed staff to bring a $40,000 budget transfer to the finance committee next week to allow the project to be bid. Chair Childris said the park would provide “a quiet area of remembrance” and a single gathering place to honor victims of violence in DuPage County.

The item grew out of an earlier proposal for a gun-violence memorial. Staff recommended broadening the language to dedicate the site to victims of all types of violence so the memorial can serve multiple constituencies and avoid excluding people who wish to commemorate loss from other causes. The committee was told current construction estimates remain at $40,000 and that the item will appear on next week’s finance agenda to allow substantial completion by June.

Jennifer Boyer, who researched design options for the site, told the committee she reviewed existing labyrinths in DuPage County and concluded the proposed location likely lacks the flat, open space required for a full-size labyrinth. "We do not recommend putting something that large in this location," Boyer said, and recommended an adapted reflection path with a couple of loops—an "infinity" path—based on feedback from gun-violence awareness groups.

Staff said the program will include a menu of dedication options. Nick (staff) reported records show the county funded earlier campus memorials (the war memorial and the police-and-firefighter memorial) and that staff expect the county will front construction costs and offer opportunities—such as the sale of memorial trees, benches, plaques or pavers—for donors or groups to participate over time.

Committee members raised two recurring concerns: equity for families who cannot afford paid dedications, and whether expanding the memorial’s scope dilutes the original focus on gun-violence survivors. Some members suggested recognizing advocacy organizations (for example, a plaque noting an advocacy group's role) rather than individual-paid dedications to reduce equity concerns. Others pointed to the crisis recovery center as an existing, living memorial for opioid-related deaths and suggested separate or additional locations could address different issues.

The committee agreed on a process: build the core reflection path and landscaping under the $40,000 budget and then develop the dedication program and options (benches, trees, plaques, small remembrance walls) for later approval. Staff said they will review the campus memorial dedication policy from 2019 and return with specific program details.

Next steps: staff will place a $40,000 budget-transfer request on next week’s finance agenda to authorize bidding and construction. The committee indicated it will continue discussions about plaques, benches and possible special sections to ensure both inclusion and a clear identity for the memorial at later meetings.