Village of Libertyville – Nicholas Dowden Park

7.5-acre park renovation for the Village of Libertyville. The project included site detention, pickleball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts, a linear skate park, and a walking loop

Tucker Ranch Health and Wellness Park

The new 25.6-acres development within the existing 209 acre park will make way for the Tucker Ranch Holistic Health, Wellness, Teaching Farm, and Family Activity Center with a new retreat center for programming and classes, edible and teaching gardens, an outdoor teaching kitchen, greenhouses, and a new trail system with exercise nodes to connect to the park’s existing playground, nature trails, picnic areas, and a canoe/kayak launch.

Kenosha County, Wisconsin – Veterans Memorial Park Development

Decorated military veterans, elected officials, musicians and proud supporters gathered to celebrate the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park ribbon cutting at Veterans Memorial Park’s Honor Plaza. 

Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park was developed from a former 335-acre gravel quarry into a stunning topographical and solitude park complete with hiking trails, picnic areas, cross country skiing and 39-acre Freedom Lake — to serve the community and honor veterans.

Chicago History Museum, Major Renovation and Property Development

Developed in partnership with the Chicago Park District and support of neighborhood groups, The Chicago History Museum’s Jaffee History Trail creates a new destination at Lincoln Park’s southwestern corner. 

The interpretive path through the park space around the Museum incorporates features such as a fire relic from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the couch tomb, a reminder that the area was once a Chicago city cemetery.

This project also included the major renovation to the Museum’s underground storage facility, which is directly below the plaza and houses the Museum’s 23,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts. Renovations upgraded the structural integrity of the space and modernized the interior and state of the art climate control system to assure the archives is preserved.

Village of Mount Pleasant Campus Park

Ground up Construction of a Band Shell and Grand Lawn. The site features several Activity Shelters, a Splash Pad, Basketball Courts, a Cricket Pitch, two Soccer Fields and two Baseball fields. Significant drainage infrastructure was installed to retain the utility of the site even during unusually heavy periods of rain.  

The Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum

A grand–scale garden encompassing three main spaces; the Centennial Plaza, the Celebration Garden, and the Joy of Plants Garden. A series of garden rooms, numerous water features and fountains, intuitive wayfinding elements, and an elegant terrace for weddings and special or corporate events.  

Cook Memorial Library – Libertyville Curtainwall & Aspen Drive Entrance Improvements

New Construction of Exterior Modifications at two locations. Aspen Dr. installed a new entrance plaza and Cook Park had extensive steel curtainwall replacement activity. 

Ball Horticultural Seed Distribution Facility

Ball Horticultural Company is expanding their existing Seed Distribution Facility at their West Chicago Global Headquarters in 3 Phases. Phase 1 is well underway and will consist of a new 22,000 sf precast addition to their existing building with a 2,000-sf mezzanine. Phase 2 will consist of the partial interior renovation of the existing adjacent 20,000 sf building. Then once a portion of the existing building is renovated, Phase 3 will commence with the renovation of the remaining building all while continuing to support their seed distribution operation.

The Morton Arboretum, The Firefly Pavilion

The 13,284 sf three-season event space is located on the East Side of the Morton Arboretum just south of the new Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden. Known as The Firefly Pavilion, the 8,352-sf banquet pavilion can accommodate 360 dining guests with a full dance floor. The Pavilion also includes 4,932 sf of a conditioned support wing containing pre-event space, prep kitchen, storage, restroom facilities, and mechanical room.

Schaumburg Township District Library 2nd Floor Renovation

Complete Renovation to the Second Floor of the existing library including additional and reconfigured program spaces, new architectural finishes, enhanced technology and lighting and new furniture and fixtures.

Glen Ellyn Park District Johnson Center

The new 14,000 sf operations facility include’ s administration offices, fleet maintenance, workshops, and storage as well as an exterior sheltered bulk material shortage area

DuPage County Forest Preserve District – Danada House

To sustain the pastoral image and continue its over 40 years history of one of Chicagoland’s most premier wedding venues, major renovation plans led by Allen + Pappa Architects are well underway to the Du Page County Forest Preserve District historic Danada House in Wheaton, Illinois.

Built as part of Dan and Ada Rice’s racehorse training estate in 1939, the 19-room country mansion will continue to serve as a special event facility set within the 800-acre Danada Forest Preserve upon is much needed renovation which is on schedule to begin in April 2024.

Columbia College, 624 S. Michigan Renovation Projects

Extensive interior and exterior renovations of the original 7 story 1908 Chicago Musical College designed by Christian Eckstorm with 7 additional stories added in 1922 by Alfred Alschueler. The projects spanned over 10 years and valued more than $28,000,000.

Columbia College, 600 S. Michigan Renovation Projects

Extensive interior and exterior renovations of the original 15 story 1906 International Harvester Headquarters designed by Christian Eckstorm. The projects spanned over 10 years and valued more than $30,000,000.

Columbia College, 623 S. Wabash Renovation Projects

Extensive interior and exterior renovations of the original 10 story 1895 Studebaker Brothers Carriage Company Building designed by Solon S. Beman.  The projects spanned over 10 years and valued more than $20,000,000.

Lake Forest College, 100 North Sheridan Building Renovation

Converting the house from a residential use to an institutional use, the project combined institutional code and use requirements with residential renovation.  The building originally was a stable built on 1860 for the Harvey Thompson House at 560 North Sheridan Road and is believed to have been converted to a home in 1905.  The Sample family undertook a significant renovation in the 1920-1930 period, creating a high-style classic home by architect Stanley Anderson that resembled a stately English country place.  The project is significant for the care with which the Brown family and the College undertook landscape preservation and the quality of the renovation. In other hands, the house might have been torn down to maximize the economic potential of the valuable land, and an essential element of the historic neighborhood would have been lost.

Lake Forest College, Patterson Lodge Administration Building Renovation

The extensive interior and exterior renovation of the oldest building on the Lake Forest College Campus.  Originally built in 1879 as the college president’s residence, the project renovation not only brought the building modern conveniences and up to current codes and ADA regulations, but it also used historical photographs as the basis for restoring the original porch.  The additions of the required new ramp and railings were sensitive to the architecture.  This project received compliments from the City’s Building Review Board during its review.  The Foundation commends the College for the care of its buildings that are so much a part of the history of Lake Forest itself.

Columbia College Chicago 619 South Wabash

Built in the 1920s, the 2-story building was home to a night club in the 1920s, a restaurant in the 1930s, a textile company, in the 1940s, and the Universal Bowling Corporation from the 1960s to 2003, where it served as the company’s bowling ball salesroom.  Once acquired by Columbia College, the first project included the extensive interior and exterior renovation of the newly acquired building to house the Averill & Bernard Leviton A + D Gallery on the first floor and the College Archives & Special Collections on the second floor.

Clarendon Hills Public Library

A complete interior redecoration of the library and a reconfiguration of the main floor to facilitate new and improved access to the library’s most popular materials, a quieter, more private space for the public, computer users, and a more comfortable and pleasant library for all.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Garden Shop Tenant Improvement

Route 14 Bank Stabilization

Chicago Botanic Garden, Great Basin Overlook

An old English style outlook positioned at the water edge designed by John Brookes

Palos Park Public Library

A complete interior renovation that has made the library feel bigger, brighter, and more comfortable for patrons with improvements to the Entry, Community Center, Adult Stacks, Circulation, and the Exterior Patio.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Arch Bridge

Chicago Botanic Garden, Serpentine Bridge

A new two hundred foot long winding bridge that connects the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Main Island to the Evening Island.

Crestwood Public Library

A complete interior renovation with addition to expand the Children’s Area, Circulation Area, Computer Resource Area, and a new Board Room, while maintaining service to the community during construction.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Kleinman Center

​Designed by Oehme, van Sweden & Associates and features a canopied outdoor amphitheater overlooking a small bay, protected wading area, and a boardwalk where students can view aquatic plants at different depths and perform water tests to learn about the critical role that freshwater systems play in the health of the natural world.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Dwarf Conifer Garden

The Morton Arboretum Sterling Morton Library

Chicago Botanic Garden, Botanic Garden Center

An interior transformation and upgrade of the existing 28,000 square foot three story education and administration building.

The Morton Arboretum Administration Building

Chicago Botanic Garden, Esplanade

​Three-acre garden included the site development, rerouting of active major utilities that feed the entire campus, multiple water features, pavilion structures, 400 lf of shoreline stabilization and new boardwalk, new stairway to an existing adjacent building, exterior decks, and trellises.

Ball Horticultural Company Global Headquarters

Office Renovation and site and landscape improvements including conference rooms, collaboration areas, hospitality space, parking areas, a pole barn, and a Head House.

Schaumburg Township District Library Renovation – Phase 2

Renovation continued at the library with the next phase of the first-floor interior improvements. 

Self-checkout machines are added to an updated checkout area, and three self-checkout stations have been added.  The staff is still available to help you check out items and register for a Library card and more.  

Updated bathrooms with brighter lighting look more attractive but remain simple and functional.  The Holds area is a larger, separate area that makes it easier to find held items. A bright, playful new entrance allows kids to crawl in and experience new activities as they enter the Youth area.  

Delicious, healthy options are available to purchase in the new food vending area.  A new designated eating area provides a cozy space to enjoy your purchase or the meal you brought from home.

New lighting, new finishes, and new book displays can be seen. Not seen by the patrons, but exciting for the Library Staff, is a new work area located behind the checkout desks that improves workflow for the staff as they check in and sort materials.

Brookfield Zoo, Living Coast Renovation

Brookfield Zoo, Tropic World Renovation

Brookfield Zoo, Fragile Kingdom Animal Containment

Brookfield Zoo, Dolphinarium Life Support Improvements

Chicago Botanic Garden, Spider Island

The Morton Arboretum, Meadow Lake Restoration

Windy City Wire Corporate Headquarters

Complete design build and delivery of Windy City Wire’s Corporate Headquarters. Consists of 35,000 sq. ft. of office space, 240,000 sq. ft. of conditioned manufacturing and distribution, and 6,000 sq. ft. of gym space.

Wauconda Area Library

Wauconda Area Library enlisted Featherstone to steward forward the total reconfiguration that the library underwent in the last decade. A transformative project in 2015 consisted of an award–winning expansion of 17,000 sf to the existing 14,000 sf library. This entailed adding a second story to the existing structure and expanding the building in all four directions. In 2018, a complete interior and exterior renovation was completed which included significant site improvements and a new front entryway.   

The Morton Arboretum, Curatorial Center

Complete redevelopment of TMA maintenance complex and educational offices, including plant production facilities, greenhouses, maintenance shops, meeting rooms, offices, storage and vehicle storage space, plant propagation rooms and a soil storage barn. 

The Morton Arboretum, Children’s Garden

Three main areas were developed: a Backyard Discovery Garden, Adventure Woods, and Central Plaza. They included ten, themed– gardens with water features, and climbing and play elements. 

Northfield Park District, Willow Park Redevelopment

A 22-acre redevelopment and wetland remediation. Construction of four baseball fields, two soccer fields, four tennis courts, permeable 39-car parking lot, 3,400 sq. ft. picnic pavilion and storage facility, and 32,000 sq. ft. of pedestrian paths.

Schaumburg Township District Library Renovation – Phase 1

A complete interior renovation of the AV Collection Area, AV Workrooms, AV Manager’s Office, Storage, Circulation Desk, Stacks, Welcome Area, and Multi-Purpose Rooms, while keeping the Library open.

Navistar Inc., Navistar World Headquarters Site Development

Redevelopment of Navistar’s 200-acre campus that included outdoor decks, walks, terraces, patios, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, putting greens, outdoor dining areas and extensive native and ornamental landscape gardens.

Glacial Park, Lost Valley Visitor Center

A LEED® Gold Certified conversion and extensive renovation of an existing 28,450 sq. ft. motel into a new public visitor center. Complete with administration offices, exhibit viewing areas, environmental education classrooms, conference center and multipurpose rooms for community use. The project included the sustainable redevelopment to support a permeable paved parking lot, native plantings, bioswales and wetlands.

Give Something Back Foundation & Will County Historical Society, Lincoln Landing

A new interpretive education park spanning an entire city block. Located on the historic site of the Illinois & Michigan Canal in Lockport, IL.