Following workshops, survey and more are available to respond to place-of-remembrance designs

A small but meaningful conversation unfolded at a drop-in workshop on Monday, May 11, at The Moraine in Highland Park, where community members were invited to review and respond to preliminary designs for the 2022 Highland Park shooting places of remembrance.

Representatives from contracted design firm SWA Group presented updated designs and encouraged residents to continue sharing feedback through a public survey available through May 24.

Erica Weeder was one of 48 paradegoers wounded by gunfire on July 4, 2022. Weeder was shot on the side of her body during the attack. Her husband was shot in the arm. 

On hand to review the preliminary designs on Monday night, Weeder expressed a desire for a simple design at both rose garden and Port Clinton sites

“We need to keep it very simple,” Weeder told The Record. “We can’t have 15 ideas overlaid in one space.” 

For the Port Clinton memorial, near where the tragedy unfolded, she preferred the Woven Together concept, which would plant seven new trees to represent the seven deceased victims: Katie Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin Michael McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacki Lovi Sundheim, Nicolás Toledo and Eduardo Uvaldo.

“I like the seven trees in Port Clinton,” she said. “I also find it very important to have a plaque with words explaining what happened in the town square.”

She added that the concept Petals, which would add flower-petal statues at both sites, may be confusing in the future.

“Twenty years from now, no one is going to understand that those shapes are rose petals,” she said.

From the three designs for the rose garden near City Hall, the location of the primary memorial, Weeder preferred the second option, Mending Lines, which features what designers call a narrative garden around landscaping, a ripple pool and more.

“As much as I would love to have a seating area for each family [in Woven Together], I think no one is going to understand that in 20 years,” she said. “But seven stones in a pool – that’s more powerful, resonant and will be long lasting.” 

In both the rose garden and Port Clinton, Weeder believes that the community needs a design that will last over “generations,” she said. 

On the other hand, Michael Cohn, a cousin of Sundheim, who was fatally shot in the attack, said he wants the design to be more prominent. 

“I want to see some art or sculpture in the rose garden and Port Clinton,” he said, echoing statements he made during the May 7 meeting of the place of remembrance working group. 

Cohn said he watched Sundheim get shot on July 4, 2022, and his experience through the trauma leads him to want a design that is obvious, he said. 

“If we are going to take this long to come up with a place of remembrance,” he said. “We better do it well.” 

Designs have been made available to the public since Friday, May 8, and individuals who still want to provide feedback on the designs may fill out the Design and Concept Feedback Survey, which will remain available until May 24. 

Though just a handful of visitors stopped by recent workshops on Saturday and Monday, May 9 and 11, the City of Highland Park expects more engagement this round, said City Manager Ghida Neukirch in a statement.

She said the city is working with its partners to provide “multiple avenues” for community members to submit their feedback, so they have “the chance to share their feedback in the way that feels most comfortable to them”

“We appreciate the feedback we have received from everyone to date. This input has been incredibly valuable in helping shape the design concepts in a meaningful and impactful way,” Neukirch said. “Because this is such a difficult topic for many, we anticipate increased engagement in this second phase, when community members are invited to review and interact with specific, concrete design concepts.”

Those opportunities include the in-person workshops, the open survey, a dedicated email address (remembrance@cityhpil.com), and direct outreach via email, letter and phone, according to Communications Manager Amanda Bennett.

Individuals who were injured on July 4, 2022, continue to have the opportunity to schedule one-on-one meetings or small group listening sessions with the design team. The design team also has drop-in hours at City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Ave : 9-11 a.m. Friday, May 15; 8-10 a.m. Tuesday, May 19; 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, May 20; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, May 21; and noon-2 p.m. Friday, May 22.

For additional information regarding the place of remembrance visit the dedicated website.

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