The city of Aurora has agreed to help Aurora University take out $16 million in tax-free debt to support the construction of a new Learning Commons.
Although the debt is being taken out through the city, Aurora residents will not be paying the bill, city officials previously said. Instead, Aurora University will be fully responsible for repaying the bonds, and that the debt will not even show up on the city’s financial statements.
The $16 million bond issue unanimously passed the Aurora City Council at its meeting Tuesday. A public hearing was held, but no comments were made by the public or Aurora aldermen.
The debt will partially finance the construction of a new three-story “Learning Commons” that is set to replace the university’s aging Charles B. Phillips Library — but it will be more than just a place to check out books. University officials previously told The Beacon-News that it will also feature significant room for student collaboration, technological resources and an inclusive design, among other things.
The building’s first floor was designed to house books like a traditional library, but also have study rooms, a cafe and the university’s career services, according to past reporting.
Alongside the career services office on the first floor will be an “industry lounge,” where students will be able to meet employers in a casual setting.
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The second floor is set to have a tech hub, maker space, content creation space, an academic support center and innovation space for both students and faculty along with medium and large spaces for collaboration.
The building’s third floor is planned to hold the university’s archives, which right now are spread around the campus, alongside quiet study areas, a testing center and an outdoor terrace.
The overall design of the new Learning Commons is intended to promote health and wellness for faculty, staff and students. For example, university officials said that sound was heavily considered, as the building is expected to go from loudest on the bottom floor to quietest on the top floor.
Plus, the architecture shows the university’s commitment to innovation but will also connect to the traditional rest of the campus, as it “incorporates many of the characteristics that make our campus so beautiful,” Aurora University President Susana Rivera-Mills told The Beacon-News in May.
At a meeting of the Aurora City Council’s Finance Committee on July 10, where the partnership between the city and university was first discussed, Aurora University Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Sharon Maxwell said the project is meant to be the “jewel in our crown” that completes the 40-acre campus.
The Learning Commons will be student-centered, she said, and in particular it will give students who live off-campus a space to go during the day to engage with their fellow students and faculty.
Although the debt was just approved Tuesday, ground has already been broken at the site of the new building, which is located on Prairie Street in front of the university’s existing parking structure. According to the university’s website, construction officially started on May 27 after a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony earlier that month.
University officials previously said construction would likely take around 18 months.