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MEDIA CONTACT: Alan K. Cubbage at 847-491-4886 or a-cubbage@northwestern.edu
February 6, 2002
Northwestern to Develop New Building Sites
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University plans to develop
approximately four acres of land for future building sites
on its Evanston campus, University officials announced today.
The land will be created by filling in a portion of a 19-acre
cooling water lagoon located on campus near the University’s
central utility plant. The area to be filled, approximately
four acres, is on the west side of the lagoon.
"The additional land will provide space for construction
of at least four new buildings at some time in the future,"
said Eugene S. Sunshine, senior vice president for business
and finance. "The University is extremely constrained
for space, and while we do not have any specific buildings
planned for the site, it gives us vitally important flexibility
in the future."
Sunshine said the land eventually would likely be used for
academic buildings, such as classroom and/or research facilities.
Until buildings are constructed, the area will be used for
landscaped parking and open space.
The new parking area, which will occupy about half of the
new land, will provide more than 200 parking spaces. Some
of those will replace a portion of the parking spaces lost
due to the construction of new buildings on north campus.
In addition, the University has developed preliminary plans
for the creation of a pedestrian mall that will run from the
University Library north to Hogan Hall. The mall will replace
the existing Campus Drive and will have sidewalks flanking
a large lawn area, accented by landscaping, benches and new
lighting. Service vehicle access to the Allen Center and the
library will be through the new parking lot.
The University is seeking funds for the construction of
the mall.
"We’re attempting to maximize the efficient use
of the University’s land while providing a more attractive
link between the north and south campuses," Sunshine
said.
Compared to similar institutions, Northwestern has a very
small campus. The Evanston campus, including the land where
Ryan Field and other athletic facilities are located, totals
approximately 240 acres. Of that, 84 acres were created in
the 1960s when the University filled in a portion of Lake
Michigan.
By comparison, Duke University, located in Durham, N.C.,
which has slightly fewer students, has nearly 1,700 acres
on its main campus and owns another 7,700 acres. Stanford
University, located in Palo Alto, Cal., also of similar size,
owns more than 8,000 acres.
Northwestern at one time owned nearly 600 acres in Evanston,
but much of the land was sold or donated to the community
in the University’s early days in order to help develop
Evanston.
The construction of the 84-acre lakefill in the1960s provided
space for the University to grow over the last four decades.
However, a major building program now under way that includes
seven new buildings means that there are very few buildable
sites left on the Evanston campus, said Ronald Nayler, associate
vice president for facilities management.
Filling in the four acres is expected to take until early
2003, but could be finished earlier, Nayler said. Landscaping
of the new area and construction of the parking lot is slated
to be begin immediately afterwards, with completion expected
in summer 2003.
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