Northwestern Plans Trio of New Buildings

Plans for a new visitor center, boathouse and school of music and communications are underway

Northwestern University is looking to expand the Evanston campus with a new visitor center, school of music and communications, and a new boathouse.

The $32 million visitor center will span 170,000 square feet and include a parking garage for 435 vehicles, according to the Chicago Tribune. Located on the lakefront, the center is expected to give visitors a "wonderful first impression of Northwestern," said Michael Mills, associate provost for enrollment management, in a statement.

"The new visitors center will provide a beautiful new front door for Northwestern and enable us to start campus tours on the main part of the campus," Mills said.

The school also recently announced that construction would begin in May for the $117 million Bienen School of Music and Communication. The new building will allow the school to consolidate all of its programs in one campus location for the first time in 35 years.

The 5,000-square-foot, $2.5 million boathouse will make its home on the north end of Clark Street Beach. NU's sailing team will be housed in the facility.

Overall the project will cost close to $151 million and generate $2 million in building permit fees for the city of Evanston. Northwestern expects that assembling the new facilities will draw in 170 construction jobs.

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