On April 30, a private groundbreaking was held to celebrate a project that’s been in the works for approximately two years – the reimagining of the Norris Center east lawn and the creation of a new campus hub – with a pub that serves beer and wine.
Corbin J. Smyth, executive director of Norris University Center, is part of a team spearheading the expansion and lawn renovation. Smyth joined Northwestern two years ago from the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he served for 10 years as associate vice chancellor of student life.
Smyth said that a primary goal of the lawn/pub project is to draw a greater number of less-frequent visitors to Norris, such as third- and fourth-year students, graduate students, faculty and staff. It’s also a way to give student groups more room for performances, activities and indoor and outdoor events.
“We see a large number of first- and second-year students coming to Norris for coffee, lunch and to attend student group meetings,” Smyth explained. “We want to expand this audience, and this includes Evanston community members. We already see Evanston residents who are tied to the campus through alumni and alumni groups, and they bring locals in. We hope [with the new lawn] to also engage those folks who have a relationship with the lake and enjoy spending time on the lakefill.”
The renovation is supported by gifts from lead donors University Trustee Frank Cohen and Julie Cohen, Ken and Jana Kahn, University Trustee Paul Schneider and Nicole Schneider. The East Lawn behind Norris will be renamed the Cohen Lawn.
The new Cohen Lawn will be redesigned to include a hard patio with gas firepits, similar to ones you see outdoors at hotel bars, Smyth explained. On the lawn’s southeast side, a new, covered performance stage pavilion will be constructed for music events and performances, along with expanded seating to accommodate events and seasonal activities.
“When we met with student groups and others, we were definitely told to add more places to sit and enjoy the outdoors,” Smyth said.
Smyth added that early in the project, a charette (collaborative planning process) was held with various stakeholders from around the university, including students, faculty and Norris employees.
“That is how the design and scope came about,” Smyth said. “At the time, we were not even talking about a full-scale restaurant or pub. We were talking about a three-season kind of grill, but with feedback from the groups and then another donor stepping up, we came up with the pub idea.” Smyth said that his team traveled to other campuses for inspiration, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison (home to a storied campus pub Der Rathskeller), Purdue and University of Miami.
According to Smyth, it was the production staff at Norris who helped drive the realization of the performance pavilion, which will be designed as an all-season venue, with just a few components that will be removed in the colder months.
The pub will be housed in a newly constructed, wood and glass structure that will extend from the current dining area between Mod Pizza and Starbucks on the lower level of Norris out into the lawn. The roof of the pub will serve as an outdoor patio which will be merged with the current green space that extends from the floor of Norris. A “grand staircase” will allow diners to go up to the rooftop patio from outside the pub.
Inside the pub there will be a raised platform for hosting trivia nights, karaoke and musical performances.
Timeline
Redevelopment is slated to start on or around June 17 with an estimated completion date prior to the 2025 June commencement. The pub is estimated to open in time for the start of the 2025 school year.
Smyth said the pub will eventually get a proper name and have a distinct décor, the hope is that it will integrate seamlessly into the Norris dining area.
“It will have its own menu and its own vibe, but it also will be open for those who maybe just want to grab a Starbucks and go into the pub space and sit down,” Smyth explained.
What it won’t be is a place for underage drinking, he added.
“The people we talked to at the campuses we visited that have a pub or something similar all had the same thing to share, and that was that you just need to get the message out that underage consumption will not be tolerated,” he said. “We will be hypervigilant in our carding at the point of purchase and may even spot check tables for IDs.”
While the details are still being finalized, operating hours for the pub will include lunch, dinner, and well into the evening, provided the liquor license is approved.
Finally, Smyth said that something he and his team are most excited about is that this new creation of intentional space will better support campus programs and performances.
“Today if you want to do a big event on the lawn, you’ve got to bring in a tent and rent tables and chairs. This new Cohen Lawn with provide hardscape, a performance space, a dining space and lots of tables and chairs,” he said. “I think it really will facilitate a lot more creative ideas on how students and the campus community will engage with our outside space.”
NU to break ground June 17 on Cohen Lawn is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.