NU to build new visitors center, parking garage

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Northwestern University plans to construct a state-of-the-art visitors center at its Evanston campus for prospective students and their families, the university announced Friday. | Artist rendering courtesy Northwestern University

Updated: April 4, 2012 1:50AM

EVANSTON — Northwestern University plans to construct a state-of-the-art visitors center at its Evanston campus for prospective students and their families, the university announced Friday.

The 170,000-gross-square-foot facility, designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Perkins+Will, will include an auditorium with approximately 160 seats, meeting rooms, offices for admissions visitors staff and waiting areas for visitors, the university said.

Northwestern also plans to demolish the existing boathouse, used by the university’s sailing club, and replace it with a larger facility near the visitors center.

Along with a recently announced $117 million building for the Bienen School of Music and School of Communication, the visitors center and boathouse are part of the university’s southeast campus development plan. Originally unveiled in 2008, the new construction is designed to transform and enhance the southeast area of the Evanston campus.

The eastern third of an existing two-story parking garage located at the south end of campus will be demolished and replaced with a 120-foot-wide pedestrian-friendly greenspace that will slope down to Lake Michigan from the new music/communication building and other arts buildings in that area.

The total cost of the projects will be about $151 million, officials said. The work will generate approximately $2 million in building permit fees for the city of Evanston and is expected to create more than 170 construction and related jobs, according to the university.

The visitors center will include a parking garage that will accommodate approximately 435 cars. The south and west facades of the garage will be enclosed in glass and stone to help obscure the visibility of the cars and continue the facade of the visitors center portion of the structure.

“The new visitors center will provide a beautiful new front door for Northwestern and enable us to start campus tours on the main part of campus, rather than having to cross Sheridan Road with large groups of visitors,” Michael Mills, associate provost for enrollment management, said.

The parking garage is expected to reduce parking on residential streets near campus by admissions visitors. It will also be available for use by people going to the adjacent Evanston beach and park.

Estimated cost of the new visitors center is $32 million. Construction is expected to begin later this summer and take 18 months with completion slated for early 2014.