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Schaumburg to name plaza for late village attorney Jack Siegel

Schaumburg officials are ironing out plans to honor their first village attorney, the late Jack Siegel, by naming the outdoor plaza between the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center and Prairie Center for the Arts in his honor.

Siegel served Schaumburg for more than 50 years - beginning with his successful defense in the late 1950s against a legal challenge to the village's creation - until his death in September 2014.

"He saved Schaumburg!" Mayor Al Larson proclaimed Tuesday. "He was our knight in shining armor. A soft-spoken gentlemen, but when it came to a legal matter in court, that's when the tough Jack Siegel came out."

Larson said officials have been considering how best to honor Siegel in the two years since his death, feeling it required something more significant than naming a street after him.

"It was difficult to come up with a concept we felt reflected Jack's contribution," Larson said. "We were looking for a good idea."

With village hall named for the late Mayor Atcher and the council chambers named for the late Russ Parker, a longtime zoning board chairman, village board members ultimately agreed the central plaza of the municipal campus was a fitting tribute to Siegel.

They're still working out a way to personalize the space with a small seating area and plaque, currently estimated to cost $26,500.

This project is targeted for an isolated patch of grass with a tree just south of the Parker Hall entrance. It's intended to reflect Siegel's love of reading.

During a discussion at Tuesday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, board members said they preferred a different choice of building materials for the memorial than those initially recommended by staff. Trustees could vote on a final version of the project as early as next month.

Schaumburg Landscape & Design Planner Todd Wenger said dedication of the memorial likely will occur in the late spring or summer 2017.

Jack Siegel's legal legacy

Legendary attorney Siegel dies

  The late Jack Siegel was Schaumburg's first village attorney and served for more than 50 years before his death in September 2014. JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com, 2011
  Schaumburg trustees are considering naming the outdoor plaza between the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center and the Prairie Center for the Arts for Jack Siegel, the late village attorney who served Schaumburg for more than 50 years. If they do, the small grassy area just south of the council chamber entrance would be enhanced with seating and a plaque. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
  Schaumburg trustees are considering naming the outdoor plaza between the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center and the Prairie Center for the Arts for Jack Siegel, the late village attorney who served Schaumburg for more than 50 years. Eric Peterson/epeterson@dailyherald.com
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