Officials from Trinity High School in River Forest cut the ribbon on a building addition, culminating a multi-million dollar construction project that installed a connective passageway to part of the private school.
The $4 million project at the all-girls private Dominican school includes a modern, code-compliant elevator and a new enclosed hallway that now connects the classroom building to the athletics facility.
“We call it ‘the link,'” said school President Laura Curley. “It’s a horizontal link so the girls no longer have to go outside in order to reach the other building for their P.E. or dance classes. The new elevator is the vertical link.”
An outdoor courtyard area with landscaping and secure fencing was also created as part of the project.
The existing three-story classroom building was erected in stages beginning in 1926, which is when the original elevator was installed, officials explained.
“It was grandfathered in,” Curley said. “It’s not the right size for a wheelchair, it has an inside cage that has to be closed and a handicapped person cannot operate the elevator without the help of someone else.”
The new connecting hallway is at ground level but has a green roof and a small courtyard accessible from a second floor doorway.
“The green roof on top of the link helps insulate and reduces the amount of energy used for both heating and cooling,” Curley said. “The Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters as well as all Dominican Orders are extremely committed to the environment. We always look for the most environmentally-friendly ways of doing things.”
Work on the project was started by administrator Sister Michelle Germanson — who ushered the 2003 construction of the athletics facility, the first new building at the high school since 1962, officials said.
“I came on board in 2019,” Curley said. “With the help of so many donors, we completed Sister Michelle’s vision and also raised $2 million for the first endowment fund here at Trinity.”
Katie Hanson, of Chicago, is a Trinity parent who attended the Oct. 4 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“This has been a long time coming,” Hanson said. “My daughter plays lacrosse and volleyball here, so getting from building to building is very important. With this being a private school, I think it was definitely worth the money, the time and the effort.”
With the student body of about 400 and about 50 parents and local officials in attendance, a ribbon across the entrance of the new courtyard was cut by four seniors from the student Executive Council.
“It’s a welcome addition to our school,” said student Maisy Keith, 17, a senior from Forest Park. “We can really use the enclosed walkway between the two buildings.”
The school has roughly 70 employees, including alumni Kimberly Coleman, who is the physical education teacher and varsity basketball coach.
“It’s so beneficial. I love it,” Coleman said. “I attended Trinity before we had the link and it’s so important when there’s bad or cold weather and the girls have to go from one building to the other. It’s a great resource for not just students but families and prospective students.”
Curley said the village of River Forest had been very helpful and supportive throughout the construction approval process. In attendance at the ribbon-cutting were village trustees Respicio Vazquez, Kathleen Brennan and Lisa Gillis.
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“We were really impressed with the presentation Trinity made to both the Development Review and Village Board,” Vazquez said. “It was unanimously approved.”
The construction project was completed by firms with a strong female presence in their leadership, Curley said.
“We teach our students that there’s no place in the world where women cannot work,” she said. “We believe in not just talking about female empowerment but also demonstrating it. Our administration here at Trinity is all women, we all have advanced degrees, we’re all Catholic and four of the six administrators attended all-girls high schools.”
Curley said the next goal for Trinity High School will be to formulate a strategic plan for the coming decade.
Gary Gibula is a freelancer.