Furthering its commitment to one of Chicago’s greatest architectural treasures, Roosevelt University is spending more than $9 million for a massive renovation of its landmark Auditorium Building.
Thanks to a $2 million grant from the state of Illinois, the university is renovating 19 classrooms, including three high-tech spaces, with lights, carpet, furniture and other decorating. The improved classrooms, on floors three through six, were ready in time for the Sept. 5 opening of the fall semester.
With the state funds, the university also is renovating a student computer laboratory, building an academic commons space for student groups and creating a 2,720-square-foot rehearsal space for the Roosevelt University Orchestra.
During the summer, Roosevelt completed the installation of new seating, carpeting and other improvements in the 240-seat O’Malley Theatre, built a new computer laboratory for the Chicago College of Performing Arts, refurbished many faculty offices and administrative spaces and inspected and repaired the facade of the building.
Another $7 million in improvements also have been started or will get underway soon. These include the $3.2 million installation of a new chiller and boiler system. This major improvement is expected to pave the way for better heating and air conditioning. The project is being funded in part by a major energy-efficiency grant from the city of Chicago. The project also includes installation of a new emergency power generator, which will be designed to run new emergency lighting in stairwells and act as a back-up power system in the event of future power outages.
Another improvement is the design of stairway enclosures for fire-safety purposes. Construction of the project begins next year.
Extensive renovation of the Auditorium Building’s northern bank of three elevators is also planned, as well as installation of a new fire alarm system for the Herman Crown Center, where student residences are located. The project begins this fall.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Auditorium Building was opened in 1889 as a hotel, office and entertainment complex. At the time of completion, it was one of the first multi-use buildings in the country. It also was the tallest building in Chicago and the heaviest building in the world.
A study of Auditorium Building historic spaces was recently completed with a $75,000 grant from the Getty Foundation. It recommends that about $10 million be spent over the next two decades on preservation and restoration in the building’s finest historic spaces, including the Michigan Avenue lobby, the Grand Staircase, the Wabash Avenue lobby, Fainman Lounge, the Sullivan Room, the Faculty Lounge, Ganz Hall and the Library Reading Room.
Currently, a planned $2 million restoration is underway in the building’s historic seventh-floor Ganz Hall. In the current phase, the room’s murals, stained glass windows and lighting are the focus of restoration, which is being funded entirely by university donors.
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