DeKALB – Northern Illinois University plans to sell the President’s House, once used as a home for past university presidents and their families, to boost revenue for maintenance and emergency repairs.
According to NIU documents, the property at 901 Woodlawn Drive in DeKalb “has served several presidents and has had considerable historical value,” but is now considered superfluous to the university’s mission. NIU President Lisa Freeman does not live in the house, although she does have a home in DeKalb.
The 6,000-square-foot house was built in 1955 and has three bedrooms, sitting on a 1.3-acre lot, documents show. The house is a mile and a half away from the main campus.
In addition to selling the president’s house, the NIU Board of Trustees also approved the sale of an 11-acre piece of land located near the City of Sycamore’s wastewater treatment plant, and a vacant warehouse at 2211 Sycamore Road in DeKalb, documents show.
Both properties will be sold to the City of Sycamore for an amount not yet determined, documents show, although the 11-acre site is estimated to be worth $150,000.
The property, which is located on North Cross Street south of Sycamore’s wastewater treatment plant, is part of a 34-acre site, used as NIU’s College of Engineering before the college moved to the NIU campus in 1995, documents show.
Since 1997, the property has been under a long-term lease with the City of Sycamore for a 32,000-square-foot Public Works Department, which includes offices, a maintenance and sign shop and storage for vehicles, equipment and road salt.
The 90,000-square-foot warehouse, which sits on two acres behind the Ellwood Steak and Fish House, was built in 1970 and once was used by the university for an art annex, records show.
NIU’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously during their meeting Sept. 12 to approve the sale of all three properties, confirmed Joe King, spokesman for the university. Records show the revenue obtained from the sale of the three properties will be put toward maintenance requirements at the university.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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