LINCOLN PARK — Construction on DePaul University's new music building could begin the first week of November and last 2 years and 3 months, according to Bob Janis, the university's vice president of facilities operations.
If DePaul's Board of Trustees approves the move on Oct. 30, construction will begin Nov. 2 and continue through March 2018, when the building is expected to be completed, Janis told residents Thursday evening at a community meeting held at McGowan South, 1110 W. Belden Ave.
The project will be split into two phases: constructing a new building on Halsted Street between Fullerton and Belden avenues, and then renovating the existing music building and concert hall, he said. The current music school building will be adapted for offices and teaching studios.
Once completed, the new 50-foot-tall music building would offer a 535-seat concert hall, a 150-seat recital hall and a 80-seat recital hall. There will also be an underground parking garage with room for 125 cars.
If the plan is approved, McGaw Hall will be torn down in mid to late January to make way for the new building, which was originally slated to begin construction in 2014 but was pushed back due to a dip in enrollment.
"We are literally talking on the order of less than 1 percent and less than 2 percent last year and this year, but nonetheless even a modest [enrollment] decline like that does put some economic pressure on operations," Robert Kozoman, DePaul's executive vice president, previously told DNAinfo Chicago.
Building a new music building is part of the university's 2009 10-year master plan, which includes millions of dollars in projects like a mixed-use development at Fullerton and Sheffield avenues and a Dutch-inspired "woonerf," among several other improvements.
While Janis assured residents that neither Halsted nor Belden would close during construction, he said about 20 parking spots on Halsted will be eliminated, Janis said.
But he assured the residents in attendance that the university is invested in the neighborhood and its community members.
"We're not doing this as developers, leasing it out and going wherever we go and stopping at the bank along the way," Janis said.
"We work here every day, we take care of the students every day. We're going to be here every day with you through snow or rain. Not to say that we won't have rocky moments and whatnot. But if they do come up, we will work hard to work them out because we do not want to make your lives hard."
Crews are expected to work from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. They won't be out during the weekends unless there are "unforeseen issues," Janis said.
"We'll avoid it like the plague," he said.
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