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Smaller science center approved for North Central in Naperville

The $60 million science center North Central College is building to propel the Naperville institution into the age of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics shrunk by 2 feet Thursday night.

The city council recently approved the facility at 48½ feet tall and gave permission for the college to demolish five historic homes and a dormitory in order to build it, overturning an earlier denial by the city's historic preservation commission.

But college officials on Thursday went before the same historic preservation commission members who originally turned down the request to present some minor tweaks on height and size, which had that concerned neighbors.

"We now can build the building. But we also wanted you to know we listened," said Paul Loscheider, North Central's vice president for business affairs.

"We want to lower it a little bit, change how it looks a little bit and hopefully make it a little more palatable, even though it's going to be a big building."

Architect Dennis Vovos with Holabird & Root said the updated design decreases the science center's height to 46½ feet, lowers the height of a wall that hides a circulation fan by 4 feet and incorporates a design element suggested by historic preservation commission member Tom Ryan, which presents a more unified roof line.

"I just want to thank you guys for shrinking the building down," resident Jeff Oken said.

"I think that's really good that you put some effort into trying to redesign that."

Two other residents of Naperville's historic district, which includes North Central College's milelong and block-wide campus, expressed continued concerns about noise from the science center and safety of the experiments to be conducted inside.

Loscheider said architects are working with a sound engineer to contain noise from the building's mechanical equipment and they are complying with all federal and state safety standards.

Historic preservation commission members unanimously approved the college's request to build a slightly shorter science center, despite the loss of five historic homes that currently house faculty offices. Loscheider said the college still is seeking public interest in buying the homes and moving them to a different location so they can be preserved.

"I think this is better. I appreciate that you took some of the comments that we had and tried to work them in," commissioner Larry Larsen said.

"Although it's only two feet, two feet will help with the sun."

The college now aims to begin construction on the science center next summer.

"While these changes don't solve every issue and aren't going to make everybody in the neighborhood happy, I do think this is a step in the right direction," commissioner Tim Messer said.

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Changes to the future science center at North Central College in Naperville are minor, officials say, but they decrease the building's height by 2 feet, lower a wall that screens mechanical equipment by 4 feet and present a more unified roof line design. Courtesy of North Central College
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