After discussing her concerns with Northwestern administrators, Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) said she supports the construction project planned for Elder and Hinman-Lincoln Halls.
In a March 25 meeting with administrators and the city planning committee, Fiske raised questions about building codes and student safety, she said. The responses from others at the meeting convinced her the project will be both safe and beneficial to the NU community, she said.
“All safety concerns for student safety were addressed,” Fiske said. “The university is amazingly responsible about how it improves its buildings.”
Construction begins this quarter on a bridge joining the two all-freshman residences and on a main Sheridan Road entrance to both buildings, said William Banis, vice president for Student Affairs. In addition to increasing accessibility for disabled community members, the University hopes the project will bring the freshman community together, he said.
“We have been trying to create a concept of residential community,” Banis said. “We are starting with Elder as a pilot project.”
The structure will provide a shared kitchen, more common space and living spaces for faculty in residence and the Area Coordinator, Banis said. A rooftop deck will be accessible on top of the connecting structure.
The project’s architect is part of a national network investigating improvement in the quality of student life and housing in the 21st century, Banis said.
“The idea was to take some of the best practices and designs from projects around the nation and implement them here,” he said.
Students living in both dorms said they look forward to the enhanced sense of community the connection will bring.
“The community at the Freshman Quad could be stronger,” said Elder resident Kyra Woods, formal director for the Freshman Quad. “It would be really nice to foster a better community between the dorms and create a better sense of identity.”Hinman-Lincoln resident Mike Sladek agreed.
“This will definitely bridge the Elder/Hinman-Lincoln divide,” he said. “It will get the school more integrated.”
Sladek said his only concern about the construction is the possible loss of intimacy it will bring to the community in Hinman-Lincoln.
“As someone in Hinman-Lincoln, I worry that the smaller feeling of living in Hinman-Lincoln will be lost,” the Weinberg freshman said.
Still, Sladek said he likes the idea of the rooftop deck.
Plans of a connecting bridge between the two buildings were drawn up three years ago, at the beginning stages of a housing study conducted by the Office of Student Affairs and University Residential Life staff, Banis said.
“We were thinking about how to enhance the quality of life in Elder and Lincoln for the students up there,” he said. “We looked at a variety of configurations, and one of them was to build a connector for the buildings with a common entrance, provide better access for students with disabilities and position a Community Service Officer there.”
Fiske said her concerns about the construction had been minor and had centered on student safety. In response to one of her questions, school administrators assured her railings on the new deck will be high enough to protect students congregating there, she said.
Convinced the project will not expose students to new risks, the alderman said she thinks the project will have many benefits for students.
“The construction makes a lot of sense,” she said. “This is a way to make things a lot more convenient for students who use the space.”[email protected]
