Construction underway for new Aurora University library/services building

Aurora University is building what it calls a “central hub for academic life.”

Construction began May 27 on the $39.45 million Learning Commons on the university’s Aurora campus. It is designed to bring the resources students use most into one building, including the library.

The Learning Commons will replace the Phillips Library. According to a university press release, the 63-year-old building can’t meet the technological needs of students.

The new building will be three stories tall and 45,000 square feet. It will house the library, the career services department, study rooms, a café, a maker space, university archives and a corporate lounge where students can meet with employers.

It is expected to open in early 2026.

The university has received a $15.41 million grant from the state for the construction. It is borrowing $16 million, using private activity bonds.

The city of Aurora is serving as an issuer (or “conduit”) of those bonds, which will be tax-exempt, because the nonprofit university cannot issue the bonds itself under IRS law. The city council approved the measure last week. The city will not be responsible for debt payment, according to the city’s finance director.

The rest will come from reserves and donations, according to Sharon Maxwell, the college’s senior vice president for business and finances.

Aurora University has about 4,100 undergraduate students and 1,800 graduate students. The university started in 1893 as Mendota College, a seminary in Mendota. It became affiliated with George Williams College in 1992, and the two merged in 2000.