Hinsdale Township High School District 86 consists of Hinsdale Central High School and Hinsdale South High School, serving nearly 4,000 students in portions of DuPage and Cook counties.

Cotter was brought on as an Owner’s Representative to assist the District in the review and organization of a proposed referendum that addresses critical life safety, security, infrastructure, accessibility improvements, and improvements required to support various programs at both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South. In preparation for the referendum, Cotter also prepared a Utilization Study for both schools that identified crucial needs and opportunities to renovate, add, and re-purpose space to meet the needs of the District.

Upon the referendum’s acceptance in 2019, Cotter assisted the District in procuring numerous contracts, including construction management, abatement, low voltage security and surveillance, and FF&E across the four-year phased construction program. Cotter tracked the project budget, reviewed proposed changes, drafted internal and external communications, and provided insight and analysis to assist the District in making critical decisions. Cotter provided move management services, coordinating disposal of old furnishings, procurement of new furnishings, moving, and storage services. Major facets of this project included:

• Two swimming pools
• New performance and fine arts spaces including theaters, art studios, and music rooms
• Refresh and modernization of 200+ classrooms
• Sports field upgrades
• Library renovations
• Cafeteria renovations
• Special education renovations
• Buildings and grounds renovations
• Life safety modernization, security upgrades, and digital access infrastructure upgrades
• Modernization of digital and manual maker spaces for Career and Technical Education