Northwestern University’s police department moved into newly renovated offices near downtown Evanston this week.
Construction work neared completion on the new police office in this photo taken Aug. 28.
Northwestern University’s police department moved into newly renovated offices near downtown Evanston this week.
The new office is at 1201 Davis St. on the northwest corner of Davis and Ridge Avenue.
The building — originally built as Rotary International’s headquarters — more recently housed offices for the Methodist pension board. Northwestern bought the building in 2011 after the pension board moved to Glenview.
The building was remodeled over the summer to create a ground-level entrance to the new police station space.
The university’s associate vice president for public safety and chief of police, Bruce Lewis, says the schools parking office will remain at the former location of the police station, 1819 Hinman Ave. The police department’s phone numbers remain the same.
The new office includes the department’s administrative offices; patrol operations; investigations; emergency services; problem solving team; community service and residence hall security unit; safety and security systems and a new state-of-the-art communications center.
The Office of Alumni Relations and Development also is located at 1201 Davis St.
Lewis says his staff is extremely grateful to the university administration and facilities staff “for identifying and designing a space that provides such a professional environment for our department.”
An official opening of the new office will be held later this fall, with tours available for Northwestern and Evanston community members.
I feel
I feel safer already. 🙂
How does one get on
How does one get on the notification list to learn when tours become available for Evanston residents?
Why on earth would NU move
Why on earth would NU move their police station so far off campus?
Just like Walt Disney bought
Just like Walt Disney bought up Florida real estate bit by bit, NU intends to, eventually, acquire all of downtown Evanston.
Property
Then the city will be renamed Northwesternville!!!
Northwesternville
It already may as well be. Evanston, you know, as in John Evans, the founder of Northwestern who literally filed the paperwork to create Evanston.
A new facility for a deserving group of professionals
Congratulations to the dedicated men & women that serve with the NU Police Department on their new facility!
This important investment by NU is a significant improvement over the previous location. NU and Evanston share the benefit of this modern facility and its communication center.
Michael Blayney
Lee Street
Parking is a problem because,
Parking is a problem because, it seems NU has not provided parking for their employees at this location. They park for the entire day on Davis, Wesley, Asbury and Ashland, to name a few streets, leaving no spots for residents.
Parking
From the look of the work going on at the site over the summer, it appears the underground parking garage at the property may have been closed for repairs. But once that's done, presumably there will be just as much parking as under the prior ownership.
— Bill
What TIF did the Council use
What TIF did the Council use to pay for this?
No TIF here
The property is not in a TIF district and the university did not seek city financial aid for the project.
And, while you didn't ask, the property was already tax exempt when it was owned by the Methodist pension board, so there was no change in the property tax status.
— Bill
NU
If NU had not gobbled it up, possibly it could have been used by a taxable agency. Of course, that would be contradictory to the Evanston motto, " If NU wants it, we'll give it!". Since NU gave us a $500K fire truck for taking 1800 Sherman off the tax rolls, possibly a tandem bicycle for our mayor & Shapiro.!