After nearly five years of reconstruction on Altgeld Hall, a $25 million renovation is expected to be completed by January.

Plans are being made to move offices there as early as this January.

Most NIU students are familiar with the outside of Altgeld Hall, which was built in 1895 and then named the administration building. But few, if any, have seen the inside of the building that graces each NIU OneCard.

Patricia Perkins, assistant to the vice president of Finance and Facilities, said her office feels the urgency to complete the project.

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

Bob Albanese, associate vice president of Finance and Facilities, said much of that space will be taken up tentatively by offices moving from Lowden Hall. Expected to be a part of the move are the president’s office and the office of Student Affairs.

The project, which was started in 1999, was scheduled to be completed by fall 2002. However, construction delays and budget overruns set the project back. The cost first was estimated to be $19.5 million, but will end up closer to $25 million. An asbestos problem also slowed the renovation, but has since been resolved.

The project was funded with capital funding, which means state funds are being used for the renovation of the building.

Albanese said the completed Altgeld Hall will be worth the wait.

“It’s really been restored to be technologically up to date, yet it still looks like a 100-year-old building,” he said. “It really has the feel of an old building, but technology-wise and construction-wise, it’s state of the art.”

Perkins said Finance and Facilities is thrilled to be nearing completion of a project of this magnitude.

“We hope we learn something from every experience, but I don’t know if there is another 100-year-old building to take on as a project,“ she said. “This was a wonderful opportunity.”