[BCNnet] FW: NU lagoon
Cameron Davis
cdavis@lakemichigan.org
Wed, 6 Feb 2002 17:12:11 -0600
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This just off the press today. Please forward to as many as you know. I
think we'd all agree that that area is too special to convert into a parking
lot.
Cam
>>>>>
This from today's Daily Northwestern.
The plan's announced with three weeks' lead time. Were there any hearings?
What would the Illinois DNR and the federal EPA say? Evanston's zoning
board? Corps of Engineers?
Does the original agreement from the 1970s say whether the lagoon's acreage
was a consideration?
NU to begin filling Lagoon
Administrators plan at least four new buildings, parking lot
By Marisa Maldonado
The Daily Northwestern
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Construction to partly fill the Lagoon north of Norris University Center
will begin by March 1, ultimately creating more room for academic buildings
and a parking lot, Northwestern administrators announced Tuesday.
Of the Lagoon's 19 acres, the four to be paved over include the overpass
where fish and birds congregate, running from just north of Norris to the
Allen Center. The new land could hold at least four buildings, a pedestrian
mall along the edge of the lake and about 200 parking spots, said Eugene
Sunshine, senior vice president for business and finance.
NU needs the landscape change because of limited space for construction -
the campus occupies 240 acres including Ryan Field, whereas Stanford
University has 8,000 acres and Duke University has 7,700 acres, Sunshine
said. He declined to speculate which buildings the new land would hold.
"We're pretty landlocked," Sunshine said. "Once we complete the buildings
that are underway, we really don't have for the future any substantial
opportunities for additional growth, (considering) the absolute need to
maintain recreational space and open space for the general beauty of the
campus."
But building on any part of the Lakefill would detract from the beauty that
makes it such a "selling point" for NU, said Stephen Salinger, Weinberg '79,
adding that he might withhold his yearly donation to NU because of this.
"Maybe NU is going to become an urban campus, which is sad," said Salinger,
who is now a dentist practicing in Highland Park.
After buildings went up on the Lakefill in 1964, administrators told
students that no further changes would take place, he said.
The 200 proposed parking spaces would remain for at least 10 years, but that
could change if another building is needed, Sunshine said.
Plans also call for the creation of a pedestrian mall of an unknown length,
which would include sidewalks, benches and possibly a small pond, Sunshine
said. But that extension would require several million additional dollars.
"It could be two years, four years, six years - obviously, we'd like to
start it as soon as possible," Sunshine said.
Money for improvements such as the pedestrian mall is the most difficult to
raise for many universities, including NU, said Vice President for
University Development Ronald Vanden Dorpel. Fund raising for the pedestrian
mall could be squeezed into Campaign Northwestern, although he said no one
has asked him to begin raising money for it.
Workers would have to lower the lagoon's water level by 5 feet before they
fill it with either sand or clay, said Ron Nayler, vice president for
facilities management.
If filling the lagoon ends early winter 2003 as expected, Sunshine said, the
landscaping and paving could begin that spring.
Associated Student Government President Jordan Heinz said he had heard
rumors of construction plans for the Lakefill for about a year but did not
know the project would start so soon. Money for the construction would be
better spent on buildings that students want, such as Norris University
Center renovations that now appear unlikely because they lack donation
funds.
"In terms of long-range planning, they don't have student input at all,"
Heinz said. "It would be great if they would ask for input and our advice,
but just (have) the courtesy to tell us."
Genevieve Maricle, president of Students for Ecological and Environmental
Development, said she chose NU over Stanford in part because of the
atmosphere that includes the Lakefill. Students use the paths for exercise
and leisure year-round, she said, and 5K races along the Lakefill draw
residents from Evanston and Chicago.
"If the whole thing is covered in buildings, nobody's going to want to run
there," she said.
--
George Harmon
Fisk 310
Medill School of Journalism
Northwestern University
Evanston, Ill. 60208
847/491-2092(office), 3956(fax)
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=750392223-06022002>This
just off the press today. Please forward to as many as you know. I think we'd
all agree that that area is too special to convert into a parking
lot.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=750392223-06022002><BR>Cam</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=750392223-06022002>>>>>></SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times>This from today's Daily
Northwestern.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>The plan's announced with three weeks' lead time. Were there any
hearings?<BR></DIV>
<DIV>What would the Illinois DNR and the federal EPA say? Evanston's
zoning board? Corps of Engineers?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Does the original agreement from the 1970s say whether the lagoon's acreage
was a consideration?</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times size=+3><B>NU to begin filling
Lagoon<BR></B></FONT><FONT color=#000000 face=Times size=+2>Administrators plan
at least four new buildings, parking lot<BR></FONT><FONT color=#000000
face=Times size=+1><B>By Marisa Maldonado<BR></B><I>The Daily
Northwestern<BR><BR><BR><BR>-----------------------------------------<SPAN></SPAN>-------------------------------<BR></I></FONT><FONT
color=#003984 face=Verdana size=-1> Email this story<BR> Print this
story<BR>-----------------------------------------<SPAN></SPAN>-------------------------------<BR></FONT><FONT
color=#000000 face=Times size=+1>Construction to partly fill the Lagoon north of
Norris University Center will begin by March 1, ultimately creating more room
for academic buildings and a parking lot, Northwestern administrators announced
Tuesday.<BR>Of the Lagoon's 19 acres, the four to be paved over include the
overpass where fish and birds congregate, running from just north of Norris to
the Allen Center. The new land could hold at least four buildings, a pedestrian
mall along the edge of the lake and about 200 parking spots, said Eugene
Sunshine, senior vice president for business and finance.<BR>NU needs the
landscape change because of limited space for construction - the campus occupies
240 acres including Ryan Field, whereas Stanford University has 8,000 acres and
Duke University has 7,700 acres, Sunshine said. He declined to speculate which
buildings the new land would hold.<BR>"We're pretty landlocked," Sunshine said.
"Once we complete the buildings that are underway, we really don't have for the
future any substantial opportunities for additional growth, (considering) the
absolute need to maintain recreational space and open space for the general
beauty of the campus."<BR>But building on any part of the Lakefill would detract
from the beauty that makes it such a "selling point" for NU, said Stephen
Salinger, Weinberg '79, adding that he might withhold his yearly donation to NU
because of this.<BR>"Maybe NU is going to become an urban campus, which is sad,"
said Salinger, who is now a dentist practicing in Highland Park.<BR>After
buildings went up on the Lakefill in 1964, administrators told students that no
further changes would take place, he said.<BR>The 200 proposed parking spaces
would remain for at least 10 years, but that could change if another building is
needed, Sunshine said.<BR>Plans also call for the creation of a pedestrian mall
of an unknown length, which would include sidewalks, benches and possibly a
small pond, Sunshine said. But that extension would require several million
additional dollars.<BR>"It could be two years, four years, six years -
obviously, we'd like to start it as soon as possible," Sunshine said.<BR>Money
for improvements such as the pedestrian mall is the most difficult to raise for
many universities, including NU, said Vice President for University Development
Ronald Vanden Dorpel. Fund raising for the pedestrian mall could be squeezed
into Campaign Northwestern, although he said no one has asked him to begin
raising money for it.<BR>Workers would have to lower the lagoon's water level by
5 feet before they fill it with either sand or clay, said Ron Nayler, vice
president for facilities management.<BR>If filling the lagoon ends early winter
2003 as expected, Sunshine said, the landscaping and paving could begin that
spring.<BR>Associated Student Government President Jordan Heinz said he had
heard rumors of construction plans for the Lakefill for about a year but did not
know the project would start so soon. Money for the construction would be better
spent on buildings that students want, such as Norris University Center
renovations that now appear unlikely because they lack donation funds.<BR>"In
terms of long-range planning, they don't have student input at all," Heinz said.
"It would be great if they would ask for input and our advice, but just (have)
the courtesy to tell us."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times size=+1>Genevieve Maricle, president of
Students for Ecological and Environmental Development, said she chose NU over
Stanford in part because of the atmosphere that includes the Lakefill. Students
use the paths for exercise and leisure year-round, she said, and 5K races along
the Lakefill draw residents from Evanston and Chicago.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 face=Times size=+1>"If the whole thing is covered in
buildings, nobody's going to want to run there," she said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>-- <BR>George Harmon<BR>Fisk 310<BR>Medill School of
Journalism<BR>Northwestern University<BR>Evanston, Ill.
60208<BR>847/491-2092(office), 3956(fax)</DIV></BODY></HTML>
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