By KAYLEA BROWN, Senior Reporter
The space that formerly housed the university’s boiler room is shown Feb. 11. University officials have dis- cussed a number of ways to use the space, which is cleared off. The boiler room was torn down in December. -Photo by Devyn Lansden
University leaders are discussing different ways to reuse the space the university’s boiler room building occupied before it was demolished in December.
Dr. David Pecha, the university’s vice president for administration, said university officials see a lot of possibilities to use the space the building occupied.
One possibility is making the area into an outdoor classroom. Another possibility is building a set of stairs to make the area a free speech area or an entertainment area to be used by small groups.
The main goal is for the space to be able to have multiple uses, Pecha said.
The boiler was taken out of the boiler room building several years ago, and it had been used as a storage facility for the maintenance department since then. When the university received a good price for the removal of the building, officials took the opportunity.
“[It] just wasn’t very attractive, and the building was some- what rundown, but we knew there could be some opportunities there,” Pecha said.
“[We] just went ahead and took that down, knowing that we could put something back there that looks a lot different.”
Demolition of the boiler room building, which was which was next to the Science Building, was the next step in a multi-phase project to update the university’s mall, a series of sidewalks connecting some of the main buildings on campus.
“We started repairing some sidewalks by the Science Building and the Student Center,” Pecha said. “That kind of developed into a multi-phase project of which you’re now seeing.” University maintenance workers have been leveling the ground and removing additional debris from the site of the building, and construction on the area will continue throughout the spring semester.
Northwestern students say they have noticed that campus looks different without the building, which had been on campus for decades.
Harlie Altland, a 19-year-old freshman business major from Vici, said not seeing the building standing was strange. She also said the space where the building stood is much bigger than she thought.
A 21-year-old senior social work major from Canton, Rachel Beaver, said she had a different reaction.
“At first, I didn’t notice it,” Beaver said. “I guess it just makes you realize how many things and changes you don’t notice.”
The first time Beaver walked by the space where the building used to be, Beaver said she could not remember what used to be there. She said she would like to see the space become something students can use.
One idea Beaver has is for part of the space to become a small vegetable garden. The produce would go to the Campus Cabinet to help people in need.