The Northwestern University-City Committee convened Tuesday evening ahead of Dillo Day, the University’s annual campus music festival, to discuss the event’s effects on the community as well as continue discussion from the committee’s last meeting regarding NU-owned vacant properties.
“As a university, we make a number of efforts to build safety, to build security, to build care for the community into what we do,” said Jason McKean, NU’s assistant dean and director of strategy and operations.
McKean gave a presentation to the committee detailing logistics relating to Dillo Day, including measures to prevent substantial disruption to the neighborhoods near campus and scheduled cleanup efforts.
He added that his team has met with residents of 38 different houses to “review Evanston noise and alcohol requirements” and conduct “spot checking” for resident concerns leading up to the event.
In addition to members of the student intervention service, about 40 police and fire personnel and staff from McKean’s office will be on campus Saturday, McKean said.
He added that resources including hydration stations and free pizza are meant to draw students to the enclosed Dillo area and out of the neighborhoods surrounding campus.
“We’ve been doing a lot to get ready for this day,” McKean said. “It is a day that many of us on campus look forward to. I know our students do as well. We also wanted to do it with a lot of respect towards the community, in a way that is going to be safe and respectful.”
The committee spent the second half of the meeting discussing the state and future of seven University-owned properties residents claim have sat vacant and in “disrepair” for a significant period of time.
Angel Dizon, NU’s senior associate vice president of facilities, said the properties undergo “necessary maintenance,” though NU does not make substantial repairs to the structures. When prompted by Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) and committee member David Schoenfeld about a timeline for addressing the state of the houses, Dizon said there is no plan at this time to address the vacant properties.
Kelly questioned why the University should be allowed to ignore houses that are “undermining the quality of the neighborhoods” while Evanston residents are expected to maintain upkeep of their properties.
“When my fence rotted, I couldn’t say to the city, ‘I’m still working on a comprehensive plan to upgrade my house so get back to me in a couple years when I finish that,’” Schoenfeld added.
Dave Davis, assistant vice president of neighborhood and community relations at NU, reiterated that the University does not currently have concrete plans to address the properties.
“This is not to be dismissive,” he said. “If we had a plan to repair these properties, along with other properties in that area, we would present them.”
Public commenter Michael Saliba urged the city to implement policies that will hold the University to the same standard as Evanston residents.
“If you care about your constituents, which I hope that you do, you’ll take the measures to hold all residents accountable for this type of behavior,” he said. “Unless they get an ultimatum, it’s not going to happen.”
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