Renovation of MLK Commons to begin

By Denis Tagler

After a six-month delay caused by the Holmes Student Center recladding, the King Memorial Commons renovation will begin in May.

Eddie Williams, vice president of Finance and Planning, said the commons area “will be totally revamped with new landscape, lighting, sidewalks and a public freedom of speech area.”

The $498,608 renovation plan also calls for the permanent closure of Carroll Avenue and a newly-renovated bus turnaround area, Williams said. The Carroll Avenue area will also have landscaping, benches and extra lighting, he said.

The plan was developed by the architectural firm of Perkins and Will, Inc. and approved by the King Commons Renovation Committee, Williams said.

“We have been waiting a long time for the opportunity to totally renovate the heart of the campus and we hope to have everything completed by the fall semester,” Williams said.

“There is no delay in the architectural design” of the project, he said. “We just can’t do anything until the student center is finished.”

James Bryant, NIU Physical Plant project manager, said he hopes the cranes will be gone and the fences down by April so work on the commons can begin in May.

Carroll Avenue has been closed since the fall of 1987 to protect students from falling debris from the student center.

“The idea (of the renovation) is to have a major walkway through the heart of the campus, eliminating some of the conflict between vehicles and pedestrians. So it’s a safety issue. Plus it will make the campus more like a university campus—organized and beautiful,” Williams said.