Even while rebuilding Ryan Field — the biggest construction project in Evanston history — Northwestern University has embarked on several additional construction projects since last summer that have continued through this winter.
Beyond the football stadium on Central Street, construction vehicles, fencing and “path closed” signs have dotted the campus itself for much of this academic year. The good news is that some progress is finally evident.
In October 2024, the university announced plans to demolish the James L. Allen Center at 2169 Campus Drive, just south of the all-glass Kellogg School of Management Global Hub. The demolition began in January to make way for another spaceship-like glass structure that will be named the Kellogg Education Center.
The project is set to be complete by the summer of 2027. An existing path allows pedestrians to walk along the pond east of the lakefill just in front of the Global Hub and where the new building will be located, and crews are also constructing a tunnel connecting the two. But the walkway/driveway between the Allen Center to the east and the Pancoe Life Sciences Pavilion to the west will be closed throughout construction.
Meanwhile, a crucial vantage point for walking and biking traffic on campus has been restored for staff, students and community members. After being closed since last summer, the south lakefill pedestrian bridge reopened in February. Although the path along the Segal Visitors Center is still closed, foot travelers are able to access Norris University Center and Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Pedestrians trying to reach the shores of Lake Michigan no longer have to take a roundabout route, and students are sure to enjoy the easier access as warmer spring weather looms in the near future.
According to a press release from the university, the upgraded bridge is much wider than the old version, providing better protection from the lake and also making the south lakefill more easily accessible to emergency vehicles.
“The bridge replacement is part of a wider project to protect the south campus shoreline from erosion following record-high lake levels in recent years,” the university said. “Crews continue work to extend the pier on the south edge of campus to better protect Northwestern’s Sailing Center and beach, both of which will remain closed until summer 2025.”
The Cohen Lawn east of Norris, formerly known as the East Lawn, has also seen construction ramp up in the winter months. Machinery has kept chugging along in preparation for the upcoming summer, when the newly developed space is scheduled to open. Once complete, the lawn will include a pub, a stage for events and an outdoor green area featuring a garden of native plants.
There’s still plenty more to come beyond those three spaces, though. The Charles Deering Library — a popular study spot with an iconic gothic facade facing Sheridan Road — is still being renovated and is expected to reopen in the fall of 2025 after closing in June 2024.
“The project will focus on the renovation and restoration of the Eloise W. Martin Reading Room, the third-floor lobby, and room 208,” according to Northwestern. “These spaces will see restored woodwork, furnishings, and flooring, as well as retrofitted historic lighting, technology upgrades, and furniture.”
Right next door, the Donald P. Jacobs Center at 2001 Sheridan Road is being remodeled into a new hub for social sciences and global affairs, which will open in the fall of 2026. Coon Auditorium, on the east side of the Jacobs Center, was demolished in January. Sidewalks around the construction have been occasionally closed or rerouted.
Plus, Bobb-McCulloch Residence Hall will receive updates of its own. The dormitory (technically the combined dorms of Bobb and McCulloch halls) will be partially closed for the 2025-26 school year for renovations. Bobb will be fully shut down, while certain rooms in McCulloch will be available to students. But 1835 Hinman — across the street from Clark Street Beach — will reopen its doors with an upgraded capacity for over 200 students.
From the Allen Center to the lakefill bridge, NU’s campus is getting a facelift is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.