Altgeld Hall, which was slated to reopen in January, now is not expected to open until fall 2004, NIU President John Peters said at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.

“The building is substantially complete; but most likely it will open in the fall,” Peters said.

The building still lacks finishing touches, Peters said. There will be an instructional design center that will be used to teach faculty and students new educational technology. The center still is undergoing major construction.

The project, which was funded through state appropriations, originally was estimated to cost $19.5 million; the cost of the renovations now are expected to be about $25 million.

“We’re still hoping for late spring or early summer,” Peters said about the reopening.

Also still under construction is the drive in front of Altgeld, which will include parking for those whose offices will be in the building. This drive is not expected to be open until spring, Peters said.

“I didn’t want to open the building until everything was ready,” Peters said. “We were going to move in January, but major things have held us back.”

Bob Albanese, associate vice president of Finance and Facilities, told the Northern Star in October that most of the space at Altgeld will be taken up by offices moving from Lowden Hall. Currently, offices that are expected to move into the renovated building are the president’s office and the Office of Student Affairs.

The project began in 1999 and originally was scheduled to be completed by fall 2002. After numerous delays, the renovation now is expected to be completed about five years after its commencement. The original building, which opened in 1895, also took about five years to complete, Peters said.

Patricia Perkins, assistant to the vice president of Finance and Facilities, told the Northern Star in April that unforeseen structural conditions hindered the completion of the project. An asbestos problem, which since has been resolved, also slowed construction.

Expectations for the building’s reopening are high, Perkins told the Star.

“It’s very important that Altgeld is completed because we think the building is integral to the campus,” she told the Star. “The space is needed and will be well-utilized.”