Construction of the new student commons at The John Marshall Law School is expected to be complete by early April.
The new space on the first floor will wrap around the corner of State Street and Jackson Boulevard, with the new law school entrance on State Street approximately 40 feet from the corner. A new address has yet to be determined. The entrance will be marked by a glass overhang and signage. The entrance at 315 S. Plymouth Ct. will remain open.
Chad Harrell, architect on the project, said the space will have a backdrop of wood accents with wood paneling in the café and lobby. The space will have monochromatic carpeting and the furnishings will be red and black. Walls will be painted off-white.
A dramatic steel staircase will enable students to walk up to the second level of the student commons and reduce elevator traffic.
The major construction work is complete. During spring break, flooring will be laid in the hallways. During winter break, contractors removed the wall that divided the space from the elevator so that students and guests coming to the law school will walk into a wide open space with the student commons to their right. Improvements to the law school also included installation of fire sprinklers throughout the building and installation of an emergency generator. The demolition of what was the Walgreen’s store and its updates with new heating, air conditioning and electrical are done.
“The bulk of the heavy work is done, minus the staircase,” said Jay Quinn, project superintendent for Bulley & Andrews, LLC.
Updates at 19 W. Jackson Blvd., the second part of the construction project, are on schedule and the Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic will move into the first-floor space in August. The building was tuck-pointed, and interior demolition continues. The next projects are replacing the elevator and staircase in the building and the windows, according to Mike Graham, senior vice president at MB Real Estate.
The law school is in discussion with the City of Chicago, owner of the parking garage on Plymouth Court, about what will become of the structure. No decisions have been made, but Graham said the law school “is ready to be a participant” in that discussion to strategize the best use of the property.