Governor Quinn Breaks Ground on Expansion of NIU's Stevens Hall

DEKALB - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by Northern Illinois University (NIU) officials to break ground on the $27.4 million expansion and renovation of Stevens Hall. The project, funded through the Governor's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, will provide improved learning facilities for NIU students. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to give everyone the opportunity for a high quality education.

"Northern Illinois University is a gem of our state's higher education system and these improvements will help them continue to attract students from across the nation and help them excel," Governor Quinn said. "In addition to providing new educational opportunities, the project will also create hundreds of jobs and boost the local economy."

"We greatly appreciate the Governor's support of this much-needed renovation," NIU President Doug Baker said. "It will create state-of-the art teaching and performance spaces for NIU students and faculty that will help foster student learning and prepare them for successful lives and careers."

The Stevens Hall north wing will be replaced with a 33,000-square-foot addition that will include classrooms, laboratories and offices for the Department of Anthropology. The addition will also include a new black box theater with supporting scene shop space and a new 330 seat lecture hall to replace the decommissioned one in Cole Hall.

The rest of Stevens Hall, approximately 67,000 square feet, will receive a complete rehabilitation with new walls, partitions, mechanical systems and finishes. The project has been designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, a testament to its environmentally friendly, energy-efficient design. The upgraded building will also have the latest accessibility features. Stevens Hall was built in 1958.

The total state investment includes funding for planning, design and construction. River City Construction, LLC of East Peoria was the lowest of 11 bidders for the project with a quote of $21,628,000. The project is managed by the Illinois Capital Development Board.

The Northern Illinois University project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.