‘A great purpose’: Wheaton College plans library redo as part of historic fundraising campaign
Wheaton College looked “Faithfully Forward” when school leaders set a new bar for the aptly named fundraising campaign.
The Christian liberal arts college originally hoped to raise $225 million, but after “overwhelming early support,” the school’s board of trustees decided to increase the amount to $275 million.
That goal is the largest in the college’s history. Among a number of aims, “Faithfully Forward” will support the transformation of some of the core spaces on campus. A revamp of the Wheaton College Library, for instance, represents $54 million of the current $275 million capital campaign.
“Wheaton’s library renovations are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalize the academic heart of the campus,” college spokesman Joe Moore said in a statement. “This project will modernize the library to enhance accessibility to our extensive print and digital resources, provide inspirational and collaborative study spaces, incorporate new technology for today's student, and offer personalized academic support to ensure that every student can flourish at Wheaton.”
The Wheaton City Council has given its blessing to an expansion of the Chrouser Sports Complex, another campaign project. Council members on Tuesday night are set to review the library plans.
Those call for demolishing the 1950s-era portion of the library to make way for an addition on the south side of the building.
“In effect, the south wing will be replaced, and the balance of the building comprehensively renovated,” said Jay Bieszke, the college’s chief facilities officer.
“The college's vision is to create an academic hub that inspires the Wheaton College community, one that celebrates knowledge, discovery, rigorous research and reverence for God through lifelong learning,” he added.
The library's collection has outgrown the existing space and has spread to additional areas across campus.
“This project has been carefully planned to consolidate resources into an efficient facility while providing capacity for approximately 20 years of future growth,” Bieszke told the city’s planning and zoning board in January.
The total square footage to be demolished is 26,830 square feet, and the total square footage to be added is 28,578 square feet, resulting in a small net increase to the library’s footprint, city documents note.
“I think it's a very nice-looking redo, and I think it'll serve a great purpose,” commented Robert Gudmundson, a Wheaton planning and zoning board member.
The advisory panel unanimously endorsed the college’s request for a special-use permit. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed in the fall 2028.