DeKALB | Though demolition has already begun, the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new first-year residence hall is scheduled for noon today.

President John Peters will break ground on the 1,000-bed facility at the construction site, which is located at the site of the old University Village apartments on Annie Glidden Road.

Jeff Daurer, director of Capital Budget and Space Planning, said in a March 25 interview that the total cost of the construction project is around $83 million.

According to an NIU press release, the new residence hall will be completed in time for fall 2012. Two residential buildings will be built along with a community center.

The release stated the living spaces will feature cluster-style living arrangements including private bedrooms, semi-private bathrooms and a space with a study area, living area and kitchenette. The community center will be entirely wireless and will feature a food court, recreation facility, mulit-purpose rooms and gaming area, according to the release.

The new residence hall is part of a multi-year renovation project which includes upgrades to current facilities and building a new outdoor recreation complex, the release stated.

Daurer said once the demolition is complete, power that runs through the site to backup Lincoln Hall will need to be rerouted. He said the first steps will be to work on pouring the foundation. At the same time the walls for the site will be built.

“They’re called precast concrete,” Daurer said.

Daurer said the construction process is complex and is a fluid process.

“There’s a lot of different levels,” Daurer said. “There’s literally more than a thousands things we have to do.”