North Central College seeking office use for recently purchased residential building

To ensure the future growth of its downtown Naperville campus, North Central College recently purchased a residential property with plans to convert the building into office space.

The property, located at 5 South Loomis St. on the southwest corner of Loomis Street and Benton Avenue, is just south of the college's main campus area featuring the Old Main building. It's across the street from Carnegie Hall and the Harold and Ava White Activities Center.

College officials requested and received a recommendation for approval from the city's planning and zoning commission to rezone the property from residential to college/university. Final approval is needed by the city council at a future meeting.

The Naperville Historic Preservation Commission also recommended approval of the zoning change.

"The college's master land-use plan was originally authored and has long existed to foster the college's integration with the neighborhood," said Kathleen West, an attorney representing North Central College. "The rezoning of the 5 South Loomis Street property to college/university district, and the use of the property for college purposes is consistent with and supplements the existing college campus."

West said the college purchased the property in early 2021, and the residents moved out in the fall. The plan is to turn the 9,385-square-foot building into faculty and graduate school office space. It also would house the Shimer Great Books School.

North Central College has purchased six of the eight residential homes in the surrounding neighborhood identified for acquisition in its master land-use plan. The 5 South Loomis St. property is the only one of the six that hasn't been rezoned college/university.

West said the building, previously improved as a two-family residence with a detached garage, is being renovated on the interior. She said no changes will be made to the exterior.

"No modifications to the exterior of the building have been made, nor are any proposed to be made to the exterior," she said. "The only thing that will change on the exterior is that there will be college signage."