Winnetka Community House Unveils $10M Plan To Update Historic Legacy Building

WINNETKA, IL — Winnetka's Community House has launched the Always Home Campaign, a $10 million effort to renovate the oldest part of its campus, the Legacy Building at 620 Lincoln Ave.

The 115-year-old independent nonprofit said it has raised more than $7.2 million so far toward the goal. Campaign funds are slated to cover design, construction and equipment costs.

The project is being designed by Sheehan Nagel Hartray Architects, now a Woolpert Company, a Chicago-based firm that the organization said is known for work on Winnetka's Christ Church and the Oak Park Public Library.

Plans center on the historic theater, the House's primary performance and event space. The organization said the theater will be updated for current artistic and technical needs and audience comfort, with new flooring, flexible seating, modernized sound and lighting, stage and green room improvements, new HVAC and electrical systems, and accessible features. The work is also intended to support resident groups including Children's Theatre of Winnetka, Village Follies and Skyline Children's Theater, along with dance recitals and special events.

Other planned upgrades include a rebuilt Pine Street entrance with a new ADA-compliant entryway and weather-protective portico. The theater gallery is also set to be expanded to create more lobby space for informal gatherings before and after events and to add a new fireside gathering place. Additional updates include a new kitchen for special events and receptions, new windows, updated safety systems, more accessibility improvements and modernized bathrooms.

“For generations, the Community House has been a treasure on the North Shore, a warm and welcoming destination for classes, fitness, growth, and gathering at the heart of the community,” said President and CEO Amy Skalinder. “Young people carry their experiences in our theater with them for the rest of their lives—developing confidence, teamwork, and an appreciation for the arts. We are excited to create the modernized performance space that they deserve and make other essential accessibility and safety updates that will serve generations to come. I invite the entire community to join the Always Home Campaign!”

Among the campaign's early supporters are Carol Hansen and the late Jim Hansen. The organization said their lead gift of $2 million will be recognized by naming the expanded lobby and theater gallery, as well as the Legacy Room.

“You can go to a class, you can learn to cook, you can get your dog trained, you can work out at the fitness center—there are so many wonderful things here at the Community House," Hansen said at the campaign announcement event. "And the theater was a big part of my life here. I think I costumed 20 shows. This is the place to be, this is the place to help. It’s a little piece of magic. I hope you will join us and make this place thrive for another 100 years.”