Hubble school project lands in experienced hands

Wheaton officials laid the cornerstone of the Hubble Middle School development Monday.

They hired planning consultants who will spend the next two-plus years studying the land, meeting with the community, and presenting what they believe facts show is the best possible future for the 22-acre property. In the end, S.B. Friedman & Co. will also help select a developer.

"They will put forth a vision and lay out a plan for the property that will get done," Councilman Phil Suess said.

The firm is no stranger to downtown redevelopment in the suburbs.

It was hired by Bartlett to decide the best use of a 9-acre parcel adjacent to the Metra line and across the street from the village hall. The resulting Town Center project included a mix of commercial businesses topped by condominiums and lofts. In Des Plaines, Friedman created a plan that involved demolishing a dated parking garage, building a new library and a creating a development that included a mix of retail and commercial users.

And in Park Ridge, the firm designed a "city commons" concept at the main downtown intersection that included the existing library and made good use of existing assets - like the Pickwick Theater.

For the Wheaton job the firm will start with an extensive engineering analysis on the site, at the corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Road, primarily focusing on the flooding and draining issues there. That should stretch through April, according to the timeline presented to the city.

Around May, the group will be ready to go to the community to conduct focus groups, community forums and one-on-one interviews to find out how people view the area and what they think is the best development of the site.

By next November the firm expects to present its plan, said Stephen Friedman, the company's president. And under its timeline, the city will hire a developer in early 2011.

The estimated cost for the consultant's work is about $315,770.