NIU may break ground on its Alumni Visitor’s Center in less than two weeks.

Construction is expected to be complete by October 2005, said Mike Malone, vice-president of University Advancement. Research for the alumni center began four years ago.

The total cost of the center is projected to be $6.2 million, and donations through fundraising campaigns have already amounted to $5.1 million.

“We just started the mass part of the fundraising campaign and are now focused on gifts of primarily $25,000 or more,” Malone said.

The majority of the money will come from alumni at this point, said Malone. The project will be completely funded through donations.

The new building will be located on the corner of Annie Glidden Road and Stadium Drive and will replace the existing center that currently resides there.

The center will feature a ballroom with a 240-capacity table seating, a board room that university and community organizations can use and a faculty library.

It will also have “The Great Hall,” a room in which alumni achievements will be displayed and an area to recognize donors.

The alumni center will serve three purposes: housing the Office of Alumni Relations, being the starting point of daily campus tours and hosting alumni, community and campus events, Malone said. It will be a visible demonstration of the potential outcome of an NIU education and be the front door of the university, he said.

“This will be the gateway to the university, and current and incoming students will be able to utilize the facility,” said Joseph Matty, director of the alumni visitor center project.

The new center will enhance the university tremendously, Matty said.

A new alumni center has been on NIU’s set of master plans for 25 years, Malone said.