Loyola University now has the official green light to shift its latest Rogers Park project from teardown to full‑scale construction, after a foundation permit issued Friday opened the door to major work at the former Campion Hall site. The long‑planned Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences building will rise on a block‑long stretch of Sheridan Road, one block north of the Loyola Red Line platform, where neighbors should expect heavy equipment to roll in and deep‑foundation activity to ramp up in the coming weeks.
What the Foundation Permit Covers
The foundation permit lists a reported cost of $11.2 million and clears the way for deep foundation work that includes 100‑foot caissons and a 150‑foot earth‑retention system, according to Chicago YIMBY. The permit also names Woodhouse Tinucci Architects as the project designer and Power Construction as the general contractor, a sign that Loyola has the team and contracts in place to move directly into structural and shoring work once crews finish demolition.
Design, Programs, and Campus Goals
In a press release via Loyola University, the school described the upcoming six‑story building as the new academic home for the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing as well as chemistry, biochemistry, and forensic science programs. Plans call for specialized classrooms, research labs, and advanced simulation environments tailored to hands‑on training. Loyola framed the project as part of a broader campus plan to modernize its facilities and expand training capacity for its nationally ranked nursing program, and the university predicts the building will be ready in time for the fall 2028 semester.
Approvals, Scale, and Cost
The project cleared a key regulatory hurdle last summer when it secured Lakefront Protection Ordinance approval from the Chicago Plan Commission, according to Urbanize Chicago. Urbanize reports the new academic facility will span roughly 190,000 square feet and is one piece of a broader campus effort totaling several hundred million dollars in improvements.
Permits, Data Porta,l and Next Steps
The full building permit appeared in the Chicago Data Portal on January 16 and authorizes interior and exterior work on the second through sixth floors, while a stormwater management permit has been pending in the portal since September 2025, Chicago YIMBY reported. Those entries indicate that crews can move ahead with shoring and excavation, but still need remaining site‑utility and drainage approvals before the structure begins to rise above grade. In the meantime, neighbors should expect staged deliveries along Sheridan and occasional curb or sidewalk restrictions as foundation and basement work moves forward.
Community Outreach and What to Watch
Loyola University said it has been holding community meetings with residents and the 49th Ward office and plans to keep sharing updates on permitting milestones, traffic plans, and construction schedules as work advances. “This world‑class facility will serve as a catalyst for innovation in nursing education,” Dean Lorna Finnegan said in the university’s statement. Neighbors and transit riders are being urged to watch for posted construction notices and updated traffic guidance as the foundation phase gets underway this winter.
