Construction of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center has remained on schedule, and its completion is anticipated by the middle of October.

The two-acre construction site, located at the intersection of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive, was chosen for its close proximity to the residence halls, said Mike Malone, vice president of university advancement and development.

“When we broke ground, we expected to open by the 2005 Homecoming game,” he said.

Though there have been mild delays due to winter weather, project overseers do not anticipate any future difficulties concerning scheduling.

“We’ve had no problems with material deliveries and are anticipating completing all sub-grade concrete work by the end of January,” said Patrick Bell, university representative for construction.

There are existing school functions and programs scheduled for relocation to the alumni center upon its completion. The Huskie to Huskie mentoring program and the annual senior Grad Bash party will be housed in the center come mid-October.

“Its location is great for students living on campus,” Malone said. “There will be meeting rooms and event spaces for student groups to take advantage of.”

In addition to providing NIU’s campus with 37,000 extra square feet of building space, the center will be equipped with a full basement, a library, an office to house the Alumni Association and a “great hall” that has yet to be named.

Construction also is on budget thanks to careful planning and donations received from independent parties.

“We have raised so much of our money from donors,” Malone said. “We mainly receive gifts from alumni, but many faculty and staff members and retirees have donated a lot.”

NIU alumnus Dennis Barsema and his wife Stacey made an initial donation of $2.5 million. The couple’s donation entitled them to the building’s naming rights.

The NIU Alumni Association also donated $500,000. To date, donors have given $5.7 million to the project, about 92 percent of the initial $6.2- million goal, Malone said.

Project managers have created ways for donations to be acknowledged by the public through the sale of personalized decorative bricks, trees and benches. Each tree and bench purchased will have a personalized plaque and personalized bricks will decorate entrances and terraces.

“The great hall will have the most traffic, and we hope to get that named after a donor as well,” Malone said.

For more information on the status of the alumni center or how to donate, visit the NIU Web site at www.niu.edu.