The planned 9,500-square-foot addition to The Hemmens Cultural Center in downtown Elgin will include a new lobby and north side entrance, exterior box office, outdoor balcony and office space. (City of Elgin / HANDOUT)

A 9,500-square-foot, two-story addition to the north side of Elgin’s Hemmens Cultural Center will complement the glass-and-steel structure while adding a modern touch, architect Eric Pepa said.

Built in the late 1960s, the centerpiece of the Civic Center Plaza is like “a glass jewelry box,” its inspiration coming from the international and modernist styles of the mid-20th century, Pepa said. When tasked with creating a design for the addition, Geneva-based Allen + Pepa Architects wanted a contemporary look but not one that detracted from the original building, he said.

“It’s iconic,” Pepa said of the entertainment venue’s architectural style. “We didn’t want to alter that too much.”

The $5.8 million expansion adds an inverted wing that leans out and “creates a bit of energy, something that plays with the original yet has a 21st century feeling,” Pepa told the Elgin City Council last week, when presenting the design.

With architects' plans approved by the Elgin City Council, construction on an $8.5 million addition to The Hemmens Cultural Center in downtown Elgin could begin in early 2023, officials said. (Gloria Casas / The Courier-News)

“This has been kind of in the minds of various people for 20-plus years, and so there’s a lot of thought that’s gone into this,” he said.

About $3.1 million of the $5.8 million price tag, which includes some renovations to the existing building, will be covered with state funding secured by state Sen. Cristina Castro and state Rep. Anna Moeller, both Elgin-based Democrats.

Among the amenities planned are a new lobby, exterior box office, outdoor balcony, office space and new north side entrance with awnings, Pepa said.

A large space to accommodate intermission crowds and private gatherings will include a bar area. Ramps and handicap-accessible restrooms on the main level — an ongoing source of criticism for some patrons — are planned, he said.

The city plans to hire Cordogan, Clark and Associates to oversee the architecture, engineering and construction of the renovation and addition. A $470,000 contract received preliminary council approval last week.

The Hemmens Cultural Center, built in the late 1960s with a $1.25 million donation from Hattie Pease Hemmens, became the impetus for Elgin's Civic Center Plaza, an effort to revitalize an aging downtown district. (Karen Sorensen / The Courier-News)

Work is expected to start later this month, with construction scheduled for early next year. The targeted completion date is September 2023.

The Hemmens was built in the late 1960s through a donation of more than $1.25 million from Hattie Pease Hemmens. Born and raised in Elgin, Hemmens’ grandfather was Walter Pease, one of the original founders of the Elgin National Bank and the Elgin National Watch Co., according to Mike Alft’s book, “Elgin: A Women’s City.”

Hemmens wanted her money to fund a community building and the donation sparked the idea for the Civic Center Plaza as a means of revitalizing an aging downtown, Alft wrote.

The plaza, which was renovated last year, is home to the Hemmens, Elgin City Hall and the Second District Appellate Court building.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.