Administrators are expected to move into Altgeld Hall by the week of Sept. 13.

However, the general public won’t have access to the building until October, said Melanie Magara, assistant vice president of Public Affairs.

“The first public viewing will be on Oct. 7 in conjunction with the presidential address to rededicate the building,” Magara said.

Reconstruction of the castle began in 1999 and has been delayed several times because of many unforeseen obstacles, said Patricia Perkins, assistant to the vice president of Finance and Facilities. Construction workers are putting finishing touches on the $25 million project.

“It’s been a long wait,” Magara said. “I can see why they are finishing before letting anyone peak inside.”

The building will house offices for several administrators, mostly those moving over from Lowden Hall, Perkins said.

The first floor of the building will hold the campus art museum, Faculty Senate meetings, the Counseling and Student Development Center, the Faculty Development Center and the Vice President of University Advancement, Perkins said.

Perkins’ office, the office of the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and the office of the vice president for Student Affairs will be on the second floor, Perkins said.

University Legal Services, NIU President John Peters’ office, the State and Federal Relations office and the Community Relations office will be on the third floor, Perkins said.

The new facility also has an auditorium with 500 removable seats, Perkins said.

The building features a brand new faculty technology center, which is a state-of-the-art computer facility for administrators, Perkins said.

The renovation is a complete overhaul of the oldest building on campus, Perkins said. From the inside, Altgeld Hall was torn apart and reconstructed.

“You could see wiring, there was no AC,” Perkins said. “It wasn’t meeting code. It was just in bad condition.”

The reconstruction includes refurbishment of the electricity, plumbing, heating and cooling and general drywall work, Perkins said.

As of Friday afternoon, the electricity was close to being done, said Mike Cultra, Kelso-Burnett project manager.