The first dirt will fly for the Faraday II project today.

NIU President John La Tourette said a 1:30 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony for the project will mark the start of construction of the first major new campus building in 10 years.

“We’re very excited about having the oppurtunity to add significantly to the facilities for the chemistry and physics departments,” La Tourette said.

Faraday II is the biggest building project at NIU since Founders Memorial Library was built in the 1970s, he said.

La Tourette said the $20 million building will double the size of NIU’s current science facility.

“This (the building) will help us bring the university up to date with advances in research and instructional facilities,” he said.

Physics Department Chairman Dick Preston said the physics department ran out of space, making the new building “vital.

“We’ve run out of space here (Faraday) and we’ve been waiting around for a long time,” Preston said. “Classes are overcrowded and there’s not enough space for the graduate research facilities.”

Faraday II will have four fully-functioning floor levels and a fifth-story penthouse to house mechanical equipment.

La Tourette said NIU’s student population has doubled since the completion of Faraday Hall in 1963.

La Tourette and other top university officials, along with representatives from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Board of Regents and the Illinois Capital Development Board will attend the ceremony.

The ceremony is free and open to the public. A large turnout of faculty, staff and students is encouraged.