DePaul University is moving forward with plans to transform the first and second floors of 959 W. Fullerton Ave. into a welcome center designed to serve prospective students, families, and the broader campus community.

New Welcome Center

The project is in the permitting and bidding phase, with construction expected to begin this summer and the center scheduled to open in late summer 2027, university officials said. The six-story building, which DePaul owns, sits at one of the university’s most visible locations.

According to Sasha Ivanic, DePaul’s assistant vice president of enrollment management, the university sees an opportunity to turn the former Whole Foods space into a new “front door” for the Lincoln Park campus. The first floor will feature presentation areas and interactive displays designed to introduce visitors to the university, while the second floor will include lounges, meeting rooms, and flexible event spaces that can be used by students, faculty, and staff.

The project is being funded through the state’s Independent Colleges Capital Investment Grant Program, and the welcome center was designed by Chicago-based Moody Nolan, the country’s largest African American-owned architecture firm.

Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.