Northwestern is planning to build a new larger residence hall at 1835 Hinman Ave. to help meet the increased demand for housing anticipated after the two-year live-in requirement goes into effect next year, a University official said.

University spokesman Al Cubbage said in an email to The Daily that plans for the new building at 1835 Hinman Ave. have not been finalized, but University administrators and city officials discussed the potential construction of the building at a meeting earlier this month. Cubbage said the new residence hall would help provide the extra beds needed for the upcoming two-year live-in policy, under which freshmen and sophomores will be required to live on campus in any of NU’s residence halls, residential colleges or Greek houses.

The preliminary plans outline a building that would be 85 feet tall, which would violate zoning law in the area in which the residence hall would be constructed, said Mark Muenzer, an Evanston community development official.

Because the maximum height in the area is 45 feet, a supermajority of City Council will have to approve the exception, Muenzer said. There are additional details to the building’s construction that will need permits from the city, but as of now, the building’s height is the biggest concern for residents and city officials, he said.

Cubbage said the University will share preliminary details of the project with members of the NU community and Evanston residents in the coming weeks. There is a meeting scheduled for First Ward residents, who live in the area in which the new building would reside, to discuss the project on Sept. 6 at the Evanston Public Library.

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