Rosemont to install statue of late Mayor Donald Stephens

A likeness of Rosemont's iconic late Mayor Donald E. Stephens will be permanently cast in bronze outside the village hall, where he led the town for more than 50 years.

For years, there had been talk of creating a statue of Stephens, who was mayor from the town's incorporation in 1956 until his death in 2007.

But those were only discussions, said his son, current Mayor Brad Stephens, and it wasn't until village officials began moving forward with plans to build a park in front of village hall that they decided both projects should go together.

"It's a testament to the work he did within the community," the current mayor said.

Feeding off the tiny town's proximity to O'Hare International Airport, his dad led the building of major village-owned attractions such as the Allstate Arena, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and the Rosemont Theatre.

The statue of the late mayor will be placed atop a cascading waterfall, near the east-side entrance of the village hall building at 9501 W. Devon Ave. The design of the statue is now in the works and is expected to be finalized soon before a mold is cast.

The statue is expected to be installed by next March, when a formal dedication ceremony is planned, Brad Stephens said.

The company that is designing the Stephens statue, Timeless Creations, also worked on the likenesses of Michael Jordan outside the United Center, Harry Caray outside Wrigley Field, and the Rev. John Smyth at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines.

The village is accepting donations for the cost of the statue, estimated to be $300,000. Tom Grusecki, president and CEO of Northern Builders, is spearheading an effort to raise private funds and has provided the village a $300,000 letter of credit in the meantime.

The village is paying Northern Builders $938,645 to create the park in which the statue will be placed. The village has budgeted an $85,000 contingency for any cost overruns. The village plans to use revenues from a tax increment financing district to cover the costs.

Crews last week started tearing up concrete in the village hall parking lot to make way for the future park, and fencing now cordons off the area.

The current mayor, who has seen preliminary sketches of the statue design, says his dad will be depicted on one knee, facing the entrance of village hall.

"He's bigger than life, as he was in life," the mayor said.