The historic Brushwood Center building at the Ryerson Conservation Area is getting a major facelift, as the nonprofit aims to improve its public accessibility, sustainability, and capacity using millions in fundraising money.
During last week’s Lake County Forest Preserves meeting, the board approved a new 20-year license agreement with the nonprofit Brushwood Center for use of the historic building. The district had previously entered into an agreement with the nonprofit group in 2007 and 2017, according to meeting documents.
More Top Picks Best Touchscreen Heated Gloves For Seniors
The initial term is through Dec. 31, 2046, documents said, with a licensee option for one renewal period of two years.
According to the Brushwood Center’s website, the building, originally constructed in 1942, was once the summer home of the Ryerson family, whose patriarch, Edward Ryerson, was an advocate for the establishment of the Lake County Forest Preserves District.
Ryerson was chairman of Inland Steel Company from 1940 to 1953. According to the Forest Preserves’ website, the family began donating land to the preserves in 1966.
In 1971, after he and his wife Nora’s deaths, the Forest Preserves took over management of 550 acres of Ryerson Woods. Friends of Ryerson Woods — which would later become Brushwood Center — was formed in 1984. Today, the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area is 565 acres, with 6.5 miles of trails.
Catherine Game, executive director of the Brushwood Center, described the agreement as a “win-win” for the district and nonprofit, with the $5 million in renovations to improve public accessibility, sustainability and the building’s capacity.
Built in the prior century as a personal home, it wasn’t meant to be a public space, Game said, and was lacking ADA accessibility. They also plan to install photovoltaic panels on the building’s roof and will expand the largest program room by 30%.
“This is going to be just a really fabulous community gathering space; a space for presentations and concerts and field trips and programming,” Game said.
Over a four-year fundraising campaign, nearly $10 million has been collected from individual and foundation donations, Game said, with about $140,000 still to go.
The agreement includes a half-million-dollar contribution over the 20-year agreement to the Forest Preserves Preservation Foundation to support the Ryerson Woods Conservation area, she said.
With the recent approval from the Forest Preserves, they’re moving forward with construction drawings and permits, Game said, and are hoping to break ground in early 2027, weather permitting. If all goes well, the goal is to reopen the building in summer 2027, she said.
While the Brushwood Center is inextricably tied to the historic building, it remains in the preserve’s ownership. But it’s not an unheard-of arrangement, Game said. The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and operated by the Chicago Horticultural Society.
Building responsibility
During the Forest Preserves board meeting, some members raised concerns about the license, including the split responsibility for the building.
Member Ann Maine argued it would be much simpler to have Brushwood responsible for the entire building.
“This is Frankenstein’s monster; we’ve cobbled together who’s responsible for parts of the building,” Maine said. “That just doesn’t make sense to me.”
Other members pushed back, describing it as a necessary compromise with a separate organization. They also noted that while the nonprofit will pour millions into the building, it will remain under the Forest Preserves’ ownership.
According to meeting documents, Brushwood Center will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of aspects affected by renovations.
Ultimately, the board voted 14-2 to approve, with members Michael Danforth and Maine voting against.