* Loyola gets OK for building despite student opposition

Chi-Town Daily News
By Julie Segraves

The Chicago Plan Commission has approved plans for a four-story student commons building on Loyola University’s Rogers Park campus despite opposition from students.

The 67,000-square-foot glass building is designed to become a focal point for students and will provide group work space complete with wireless access, circulating laptops, 35 group study rooms, 800 computer workstations, an internet café and a landscaped rooftop terrace.

Because the project is covered by the city's Lakefront Protection Ordinance, the universty was required to seek input at a community meeting several weeks ago.

During the meeting, students complained the building will result in the loss of the Jesuit Residence lawn, a popular gathering space with an unobstructed view of the lake.

"When I visited Loyola, what sold me on coming here was the “Jes Res” lawn. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t have gone here,” said student Blake Anderson.

Former Lt. Governor Neil Hartigan spoke to the community in favor of the building explaining the difficulty universities have in expanding their campuses with limited space, but the necessity of doing so in order to remain competitive.

At the Plan Commission's meeting last week, about twenty students delivered statements. They acknowledged that the building was beautiful and necessary and their only objection was its proposed location on the campus.

Several quoted from the Lakefront Protection Ordinance insisting that it violated the provision requiring that lakefront vistas be unobstructed.

The students also delivered the results of a survey of 200 students done by the Sociology Club. The survey showed that students ranked this location as the most popular feature of the university.

The project is in the 49th Ward and has the support of Alderman Joe Moore, which all but guaranteed it would be approved.

Commissioners questioned several of the students as well as some of the community members before granting approval for the building on a unanimous voice vote.

Groundbreaking is expected to begin this summer.