Allen Center - We Hardly Knew You

[its_the_sauce]

Out with the old...

Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management to construct new high-tech building on Evanston’s lakefront

The facility will replace the Kellogg School of Management’s James L. Allen Center, nearly doubling the number of classroom seats.

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[techtim72]

That building looked like a conference center with hotel rooms to me. Yes/no? Always locked up when I came back for Homecoming. A conference center for Kellogg made sense to me.

I think we know what NU "business" is a money maker. Executive education and remote learning.

Can't wait for the posts asking why a new stadium can't be considered instead.

 

[FanatiCat]

The center was considered quite nice back in the 90s. I think my wife got to stay there once when the dorms were closed and said the accommodations were very nice for being on campus. Went to a conference there once as well. Now it looks very tired, compared to the surrounding buildings.

 

[its_the_sauce]

That building looked like a conference center with hotel rooms to me. Yes/no? Always locked up when I came back for Homecoming. A conference center for Kellogg made sense to me.

I think we know what NU "business" is a money maker. Executive education and remote learning.

Can't wait for the posts asking why a new stadium can't be considered instead.

Once upon a time I believe football team stayed there on the night before games.

 

[4IUSox2]

Once upon a time I believe football team stayed there on the night before games.

Yes, i believe they did. Don’t know for how long, but maybe a few years, early 90’s. The wife’s first job after her student days at NU was there. The building was very nice for its time. I got to meet a lot of great business professionals, admins and professors, whom we became good friends with. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of them left, at least of the professors. Had a lot of good times there. Will show this to my wife.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Once upon a time I believe football team stayed there on the night before games.

This is 100% correct. For a few years in the early Barnett days!

 

[Eurocat]

Out with the old...

Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management to construct new high-tech building on Evanston’s lakefront

The facility will replace the Kellogg School of Management’s James L. Allen Center, nearly doubling the number of classroom seats.

www.chicagotribune.com

Out with the old? We hardly knew you? It's almost 50 years old, it opened in 1979. There are undergraduates at Northwestern this year not whose parents but grandparents were born in or around 1979. Not many but there are a few, have a kid at 23, then she/he also has a kid at that age - boom grandkid - born 1980 - apply to NU.

It's not an architectural pearl or worth of landmark status but it was a fine functional facility, that said if replaced we won't be losing some kind of architectural gem like Deering Library or something.

 

[techtim72]

Wonder if NU will keep the conference facilities and rooms? Pretty typical for a major university. I built conference facilities and hotels in another life and I can imagine if NU can find the land there will be plenty of operators interested. Money isn't what it use to be but $300 mil is still a chunk of change for just classroom facilities. Odd that that this new building hasn't come up before on this board. Sitting in the middle of campus, quite a big deal.

Do you know what a smart building is? A regular building with a core drill available. The smart part is the wiring, etc. All you need is a way to route through the structure. However, I guess with wireless these days you might not even need the drill.

Get ready for rooftop plantings, rain screens, solar panels, activity sensitive lighting, low moisture plantings suitable for Santa Fe and various green standards. All mostly just a nod to the climate gods since insulation and HVAC design represent 90% of the impact. All good though. Maybe the pond will be used in some version of a heat pump system.

 

[cedricmelons]

One of my fraternity brothers had a work study job there in the 90s. He scored a lot of free beer from the fridges once the visiting execs checked out and before housekeeping serviced the rooms.

 

[phatcat]

There are undergraduates at Northwestern this year not whose parents but grandparents were born in or around 1979.

Better check your math. Born in 79 would be 45 years old. For a 17 year old undergraduate to be their grandkid, the "born in 79" person would have to have had a kid at around age 14 who, in turn, would have had to have had the undergraduate at about age 14. Biologically possible, but unlikely

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Wait a minute, I thought they’d already done this, what is the big peanut shaped glass building already on the lakefill?

 

[techtim72]

Wait a minute, I thought they’d already done this, what is the big peanut shaped glass building already on the lakefill?

I don't know the name but, yes, that is a Kellogg's classroom facility as well. Suggests Kellogg is a growing business with deep pocket donors.

 

[Eurocat]

Upon reflection I am about five to ten years too young about kids and grandkids.

That said, the James Allen Center isn't a new building!

Go Cats!

 

[EagerFan]

When I think of the Allen Center and the lake fill in general, I recall how that construction destroyed the lake and beach views from my Dad's office. One day, beautiful views, the next a building face. Bleh.

 

[boonman1]

I don't know the name but, yes, that is a Kellogg's classroom facility as well. Suggests Kellogg is a growing business with deep pocket donors.

I was told when I worked on it the official name is Kellogg Global Hub !