Located in a prominent location within downtown Naperville, the Central Park Place Development is anchored by the 1890s Nichols Library building, which is registered as a Naperville historic landmark. The project required the approval by the Naperville Historic Preservation Commission, and as part of the design development of the project, the design team met numerous times with community groups.

The Central Park Place project is a four-story, mixed-use development with a basement level dedicated to parking for the onsite residents. The ground floor will provide commercial/retail spaces with the upper levels consisting of up to 21 residential condominium spaces with access to roof as an outdoor space for residents. The underground parking garage with include 28 spaces and 14 alley-level parking spots. The rooftop will be available as a resident amenity.

The project has been designed to incorporate the original Nichols Library building in its existing location on the site. The new building structure has been set back from the original structure to preserve a sense of the scale of the existing structure as well as the stepping back of the new building façade to expand the view of the Library from the view of the front the building. The facades are varied in order to break up the building into what appears as a multi-building street scape.

The new property offers a unique experience for Naperville residents, adds to the aesthetic of the downtown area, and maintains the historical significance that Old Nichols Library holds.

The new space features:

• 21 residential condominiums
• Restaurant dining (Gia Mia)
• Commercial spaces
• A luxurious rooftop experience
• A basement-level parking garage

The original historical library building was retained, while the non-historical additions were removed to accommodate the new space’s needs.

Design Challenges

It wouldn’t be a true construction process if there weren’t a couple challenges involved! In designing the new space, the original plans included completely demolishing all of the original library structures. However, it quickly became clear that the library holds a special place in the hearts of local community members and that doing a complete overhaul wasn’t ideal.

As such, the Kluber Architects + Engineers design team went back to the drawing board to determine how the original historical building could be preserved. It was at that point that it was determined to retain the original historical building, and instead build onto it along the back of the property.

The challenges didn’t stop there. Once the construction team broke ground, they discovered a big problem: a constant stream of water into the construction site. Because of the natural slope of the land and the soil components, water naturally continued to flow. The only way around it was to install an earth retention system and drainage tile to divert the flow into an interior sump basin. This solution will remain in place throughout the years to continually divert water away from the property and keep it dry!

Facts About Old Nichols Library

When it comes to historical buildings, there’s bound to be some interesting tales. Old Nichols library is no exception!

Here are some facts about Old Nichols Library:

• 639 books were checked out in the first year.
• The building caught on fire in 1934.
• M.E. Bell was paid $239.48 for designing the building.
• The building was sold to Truth Lutheran Church in 1995.
• It’s a National Historic Building.

With a new breath of life being breathed into the building, the future is bright for Old Nichols Library. We look forward to seeing what exactly that will look like for the residents of Naperville!

Sources

Naperville Public Libraries: celebrating one hundred years of community service, written by Jane Teague.
A Brief History of the Naperville Public Library. (n.d.). Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://www.naperville-lib.org/about/history
What Does the Old Nichols Library Say to You? Public Hearing Reset for Sept. 6. (n.d.). Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2017/07/28/old-nichols-library-say/74508
Penny Postcards from Illinois. (n.d.). Retrieved September 08, 2020, from http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/dupage/postcards/ppcs-dupage.html