NU speeds up dorm-building schedule

Northeastern University (NU) has revised its institutional master plan (IMP) to accelerate the construction of more student housing.

NU plans to build enough housing to accommodate 1,000 more students in on-campus housing in its new IMP, which would bring its on-campus student housing rate to 75 percent. However, NU had planned to build those new beds in the latter half of the 10-year plan, which would mean no new housing until 2018 at the earliest.

But “it is clear from comments NU has received from the community [and City officials] that student housing needs to be brought forward” in the IMP timeline, new NU vice president of campus planning and development Kathy Spiegelman said at a March 28 community task force meeting. “We’re working on getting the first housing project done in the [IMP’s] first five years.”

“We hear you. The City is holding our feet to the fire,” she added. “It’s a priority for us. We want to build that trust [with the community].”

Until last month, Spiegelman was a consultant working on NU’s IMP, which is not expected to be finished until the end of the year.

The IMP has been the source of contention, as task force members and elected officials, including Mayor Thomas Menino, City Councilor Mike Ross and state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez, have demanded that the school create more on-campus student housing.

The proposed NU IMP is available at bit.ly/NUimp2013.

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