New Courtyard and Study Rooms at East Peoria Campus
After a year of construction and $1.1 million invested, ICC’s East Peoria campus courtyard is now ready for a new semester.
In 2021, a press release from the Illinois state government announced the project’s beginning, detailing the $1.1 million raised for the renovations of the courtyard. The courtyard project was started and eventually completed due to the need to comply with ADA standards, to provide a better standard of education and ease of access for disabled students.
Photo credit to Essie Newton
According to an earlier Harbinger article by Rachael Hirstein, construction on the new courtyard was meant to begin in late 2022. However, it was delayed until the summer of 2023. The new courtyard was then finally completed for this fall semester of 2024.
Several students were asked about their feelings towards the new courtyard, which revealed that the new renovations are mostly a positive change. James Clark, an ICC student, explained that, “I do like the renovations, it feels far more updated and modern aesthetically than it used to be. It feels more like a place to actually be, rather than another pathway to get to class. I wish they could do that for more places inside the building as well.” However, one student did note some aspects of the courtyard were better beforehand, such as table placement in the old courtyard.
Alongside the finished renovations in the courtyard, there are also new additions to the East Peoria campus library. New study rooms have been added, located straight across from the entrance, as proclaimed by a sign written with neon markers in the front of the library directing you to the new study rooms.
Glass doors and walls on the front allow for an easier way for late-running friends and classmates to join in a study session, with the bottom half of the glass painted white to allow for some privacy for very focused study or work sessions.
When visited by a member of Harbinger, half of the rooms were noted to be in good use over a period of half an hour, with the rooms’ occupants being students and professors alike.
