DeKalb, IL – It’s all systems go on NIU’s planned $23 million Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability (NICCS), as the State of Illinois has released the remainder of its funding set aside for the project.

Governor JB Pritzker announced yesterday the release of $37.3 million to launch facilities for five hubs of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), created to accelerate job creation and economic growth through groundbreaking education, research and discovery.

NIU will receive a lion’s share of that new funding—$15 million to build the new 30,000-square-foot center on the university’s west campus. NICCS will be a world-class research facility focusing on water resources, environmental change, and food systems, while also promoting science-based policies and practices for communities.

State funding also will support construction and renovation of facilities at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). The funding is made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital program, with state investments matched dollar for dollar through university, private, and philanthropic funding sources.

“Rebuild Illinois isn’t just about modernizing our roads and bridges—it’s about building a future for generations to come that is economically prosperous with the promise of opportunity at every turn,” Governor Pritzker said.

“That’s why we are distributing more than $37 million to first-rate educational institutions throughout our state to create facilities that will prepare our students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. From researching water resources at NIU’s Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability to addressing food deserts and agricultural challenges at SIUC’s Illinois Food, Entrepreneurship, Research, and Manufacturing hub, young Illinoisans will have the opportunity to shape our future by coming up with cutting-edge solutions to our 21st century problems—all while furthering our state’s status as a national hub for all things research and innovation.”

The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) will oversee the projects’ design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects.

“This is wonderful news for NIU, our region and our state,” NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman said.

“NICCS builds on a foundation of faculty excellence in environmental science and sustainability. The center will strengthen research designed to promote sustainable solutions to a multitude of challenges facing our region and state, and also spur economic development and create opportunities for public-private partnerships. Most importantly, NICCS will prepare our students to be leaders in environmental stewardship by providing them with relevant hands-on learning experiences and opportunities.”

The CDB has already hired a consultant to prepare the conceptual plans and design objectives for NICCS. NIU has outlined needs for classrooms, offices, laboratories, an atrium, an auditorium and collaborative and conference spaces, as well as two envisaged wings for research and external tenants.

State funding will cover about two-thirds of the new building’s cost. NIU will provide the remaining $8 million through in-kind contributions. Additional contributions are anticipated through private investment and donations.

“Our goal is to make NICCS a world-class destination for experts, university faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, government and business leaders, and citizens working to enhance sustainability in their communities,” said Gerald C. Blazey, NIU vice president for Research and Innovation Partnerships.

Blazey also serves as chair of the Illinois Innovation Network Council, which coordinates collaboration between IIN members.

“Under a best-case scenario, construction would begin as soon as late next year, with a center grand opening in 2026,” Blazey added.

Work at NICCS will focus on three key areas:

• Improving water resources: NIU faculty, students and IIN partners will develop new sustainable water management systems for agriculture, industry and personal consumption.
• Predicting and managing environmental change: Research will be conducted on topics that include biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, environmental maintenance, natural disasters, climate change and response to extreme climate events.
• Creating food-system innovation: The center will conduct multidisciplinary research into new methods of food production, working with partners from across the state, nation and world.

“As an alum of Northern Illinois University, I saw first-hand the benefits of the generational transformation this institution provided to first-generation college students,” State Representative Jeff Keicher said. “As the State Representative for NIU, I’m excited that this new center will offer innovative research opportunities to the generations that follow and continue to allow NIU to build on its reputation of changing our world for the better.”

In her recent State of the University address, President Freeman said she expects the university to lead sustainability efforts by example, too. Toward that end, a Sustainability and Climate Action Planning Task Force has been appointed to spearhead efforts to make campus more sustainable and help to create the first campus-wide sustainability and climate action plan.

NIU has strong network of faculty members who have been working on sustainability issues for many years and have ongoing projects that feed into the mission of the new center. More than a decade ago, the university established its Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy (ESE) to foster research, education and community engagement about the environment and sustainability. ESE offers two undergraduate degrees in environmental studies, as well as a minor and two certificate programs.

Professor Holly Jones, a nationally recognized environmental restoration expert who holds a joint appointment in biological sciences and environmental studies, said she expects the new center to foster research bringing together faculty experts from an array of disciplines.

“NICCS will be a hub of research and discovery, which will allow faculty members, students and staff to forge new connections with local business leaders and industry in ways we couldn’t otherwise,” Jones said. “It’s exciting to think of the new avenues for transdisciplinary research and scholarship that we will be able to pursue with this new center.”

Media Contact: Tom Parisi

About NIU

Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Naperville, Oregon and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 areas of study while serving a diverse and international student body.