Aggregate Studio Logo with Aggregate letters in a 9 square grid and lines connecting the letterforms
A small, single-story brick building is adaptively reused into a concession stand under a clear blue sky. The building has a low, brown shingled roof, one rectangular window, and a dark door painted with a bright green leaf graphic to reflect its location in the city of Hickory Hills for placemaking. A paved sidewalk and curb ramp run in front of the entrance, and landscaped plantings with grasses and shrubs line the foreground. One person is walking past the door, slightly blurred by motion. Utility poles, overhead wires, trees with early autumn foliage, and nearby houses appear in the background, placing the building within a quiet neighborhood setting.

Veterans Park Concession Stand

A formalized concession stand for Hickory Hills, adapted from an existing garage/maintenance structure, enhances placemaking at Veterans Park.

A new concession stand and gathering that we designed as part of the larger renovation of Veterans Park in Hickory Hills, reuses a former garage space that has long been used informally for concessions. This cost-conscious and high-impact solution increases usable weatherproof space, formalizes its concessions use, and increases gathering space, anchoring the park renovation. The poor condition of the existing CMU and brick allowed for an opportunity to re-clad the side of the structure, an operable transaction window and a hickory leaf supergraphic that enhance the overall park design and Lakota Group’s broader placemaking efforts.

Project Information

Hickory Hills, IL | 2025 | Complete

Clients: The Lakota Group and City of Hickory Hills, IL
General Contractor: Beritus Inc
Team: Josh Mings, Katia Astudillo

Original Building: 1960s/70s
Size: 800 SF Adaptive Reuse of Existing Garage/Storage/Maintenance Space as part of larger Park renovation

Typologies: , , ,

Photos: Angie McMonigal Photography
Links: The Reporter: Hickory Hills’ New look Veterans Park to debut this summer

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