F.H. Paschen and Union Ridge School District 86 Cut Ribbon on $32 Million Suburban K-8 Campus Addition and Renovations
Completed on time for the upcoming school year, expansion delivers twelve new classrooms, modern flex labs, and upgraded facilities for growing west suburban district
HARWOOD HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS - West Suburban Union Ridge School District 86, construction manager F.H. Paschen and district leadership including Mike Maguire, Superintendent of Union Ridge School District 86 along with faculty and parents cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of a $32 million addition and upgrades to the Union Ridge School at 4600 N. Oak Park Avenue in Harwood Heights.
The $32 million project addresses growing enrollment and modernized learning spaces for the district, which serves 660 students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The 38,000-square-foot expansion adds twelve classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, an administrative office, two flex labs, new academic support areas, and an ADA-accessible elevator.
Architectural design was led by ARCON Associates. F.H. Paschen began collaborating with the district in 2023. Early work included community outreach and budget planning that helped support the community-backed referendum in March 2024. Construction started in March 2025 and finished on schedule within the original budget.
Last upgraded in the 1970’s, Union Ridge School had not received a major facility addition in 50 years.
Because the voter-approved $30 million-plus referendum represented a significant investment for local taxpayers, district leadership and construction manager F.H. Paschen knew that staying within budget was critical.
"When our community approved this referendum, they entrusted us to invest our tax dollars wisely with new construction," said Mike Maguire, Superintendent of Union Ridge School District 86. "Thanks to careful planning, we not only delivered the new classrooms, labs, and cafeteria our students needed, but we also were able to do more than we planned by bringing critical upgrades to our existing building. Now, every student who walks through our doors this fall will experience a better place to learn."
To protect taxpayer funds without risking scope cuts or costly rebidding, the project team took a proactive approach: they structured nearly 20 bid alternates during the preconstruction phase.
"Like all of our education jobs, our priority for Union Ridge School was protecting the community's investment while delivering maximum value," said Josh Curran, Vice President and Director of K-12 Construction for F.H. Paschen. "Working through multiple preconstruction scenarios allowed us to stretch every tax dollar.”
Favorable bids allowed the team to incorporate six alternates immediately. As crews completed foundations and underground work without tapping contingency allowances, those unused funds were channeled directly back into the building.
Working alongside the district and ARCON Associates as the architect, F.H. Paschen added $8 million in critical summer upgrades to the original 1970s structure in addition to completing the addition.
The upgrade work included new windows, ceilings, lighting, flooring, and a modern fire alarm system, creating updated learning environments, regardless of which part of the campus students use.
"By maximizing the preconstruction process and capturing cost savings from early construction milestones, we were able to work with the district to fund eight million dollars worth of needed renovations across the existing school,” said Curran. “That means that all students return this fall to an entire building that feels modern and cohesive.”
F.H. Paschen has managed similar suburban school additions in recent years, including a new early childhood kindergarten wing addition at the Evergreen Elementary School for the Benjamin School District 25 in Carol Stream (DuPage County) and the construction of the new Debbie Sykora Early Childhood Center at Oak View Elementary School for Valley View School District 365 in Bolingbrook (Will County).
Source: F.H. Paschen.
