Below are a few updates on several facilities projects that are currently underway at the University.

• Residence Hall (Phase 1): While the official groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 14, the residence hall general contractor, Weis Builders, installed the construction site fence May 11 and immediately began removing the parking lot surface at the construction site. The project is expected to be completed August 2016.
   
• Education Buiding: The Design Development phase was completed in March and approved by the Capital Development Board in April. The Construction Drawing phase as commenced. This project is still in its very early conceptual stages and is not expected to be completed until 2018.
   
• Pedroso Center Expansion: Concrete was poured into this addition to Building B in mid-May. The addition space will be mostly enclosed by June. Interior demolition will also begin in June. This project is expected to be completed in early fall.
   
• Roofing and Exterior Facade: The repairs to the roof and the walls at the Ronald Williams Library will be completed this month. The PE Building Complex roof and wall repairs masonry rebuild, new metal decking and permanent roofing will begin over the summer for completion by Labor Day.

The latest edition of Northeastern Illinois University's magazine, In Common, is now out, and inside it you'll find features on Ensemble Espanol's 40 years of dance, music and drama. You can also read about the University's efforts to make NEIU a more sustainable place and how students, faculty and administrators are turning every day into Earth Day. These stories and much more are available in this issue, which you can access online.

Ever wonder what it's like to soar like a "Golden Eagle"? Northeastern's Offices of Marketing and Public Relations have produced a new video to give you a feel for what it's like to fly over the Main Campus. Expect to see similar videos soon of other Northeastern locations like El Centro and the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies.

Northeastern and its Music Department invites all of our neighbors to "Jazz On A Summer's Evening," a free evening of jazz music under the stars by the NEIU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Mayo Tiana. The concert will take place on Wednesday, June 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the University Commons located just east of parking lot F and the Fine Arts Center. All are welcome to bring blankets, chairs and picnic. More details are available here.

Our neighborhood spans a large geography that encompasses businesses, institutions and residents who represent a very diverse array of viewpoints. It is important to us that we understand the issues and concerns -- about our events, programming, projects, etc. -- that can help strengthen our relationship as neighbors. We invite you to share your thoughts with us online.