West Campus Expansion
Last updated February 17, 2011
For more than a decade, The University of Chicago and the University of Chicago Medical Center have talked with members of the community and elected officials about expansion plans west of the existing campus, especially in the area bounded by Drexel and Cottage Grove avenues, and between 56th and 58th streets.
This includes several multi-year initiatives that will significantly strengthen the neighborhood and create economic growth, while providing new state-of-the-art facilities for research, clinical programs and patient care. These initiatives will allow the University and Medical Center to continue operating at the highest level in offering facilities that attract the best talent in the nation, while focusing areas of growth to respect the scale and character of established residential and commercial neighborhoods around campus.
Some of these initiatives, such as the New Hospital Pavilion, are already nearing completion. Others, including a new child care center and the William Eckhardt Research Center, are still in development. As plans progress, the University will continue to work closely with community representatives and elected officials.
Below are answers to frequently asked questions regarding the West Campus expansion projects:
Why is the University expanding the West Campus?
In order to continue to provide some of the best research and clinical care in the nation, the University and Medical Center need to provide facilities that keep up with fast-paced changes in health care and the sciences. Some programs continue to grow, and demand remains high for the distinctive programs offered here.
As identified through comprehensive planning for campus, the area known as West Campus provides the best opportunities for the expansion of health care and the sciences.
What are some of the upcoming expansion projects?
The University is expanding the West Campus with a 1.2 million-square-foot New Hospital Pavilion and office buildings to leverage the close collaboration between its world-class clinicians and researchers, a partnership that benefits patient care while accelerating medical progress. Many of the research laboratories face space constraint challenges, and the expansion will provide the needed flexibility to address future incremental growth demands throughout the University and the community at large.
The new child care center will meet the need for on-campus, high-quality care of children from ages of six weeks to five years. The new William Eckhardt Research Center, which will be located on the west side of Ellis Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, will move forward innovative science programs in astrophysics, astronomy, chemistry and physics along with conducting in-depth work in the University’s new Institute for Molecular Engineering.
How will the community benefit from this expansion?
The West Campus expansion will help foster economic growth, promote opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses, and create jobs, both for residents of the community and around the city. As the largest employer on the city’s South Side, we are committed to remaining good stewards of the community and creating opportunities for future development.
The community also benefits from the medical care offered by one of the great academic medical centers, an institution that has become a leading voice in addressing the comprehensive needs of Chicago’s South Side.
Finally, both the University and the community benefit in a variety of ways, immediate and long-term, from their ongoing partnership.
What are the next steps?
Following the University’s hiring of a demolition contractor in early February, the contractor will prepare the appropriate documents required for a demolition permit for two University-owned buildings at 5605 and 5611 S. Drexel avenues. They will provide a site for a temporary building for the Astronomy and Astrophysics faculty during the construction of the William Eckhardt Research Center building and another University-owned building at 5610 S. Drexel Ave., the site of the new child care center. The permit is then submitted by the contractor to the city and approved by the city.
A second demolition permit will be submitted in early March for the Enrico Fermi Institute and Astronomy and Astrophysics Center at 5604 S. Ellis Ave. and the Low Temperature Laboratory, at 5641 S. Ingleside Ave. to prepare work on the Eckhardt Center.
Who owns the land?
The University of Chicago owns the land regarding these West Campus projects, and the University also owns the West Campus buildings.
What is the timeline?
The demolition permits will be submitted to the city in mid-February. Construction is anticipated to begin for the temporary Astronomy and Astrophysics building and the child care center this spring. The anticipated completion date for the New Hospital Pavilion is early 2013. Construction began in spring 2009.
Construction is expected to begin on the Eckhardt Center in fall 2011.
What kind of communication has the University had with elected officials and the community about expanding the West Campus?
The University has had public meetings and discussions with community groups and neighbors about the West Campus for more than five years. Additionally, as part of the University’s Heritage Resources Strategy, the University will continue to work with a community group that was formed last year to look more broadly at campus planning across the entire campus. The group, composed of various key stakeholders, offers outside perspectives regarding plans for a range of university buildings and properties.
Does the University have any other plans to expand in any areas of the West Campus?
As the University continues to work with the community and public officials, we are evaluating the various needs and prioritization of plans for continuing stewardship and future development of the West Campus.