Altgeld Hall’s renovation should be completed by January, said Patricia Perkins, assistant to the vice president of Finance and Facilities.

The project, which started in 1999, was expected to be completed by fall 2002, Perkins said.

She added that the time extension could not have been foreseen.

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

The original cost was estimated at $19.5 million and the final cost now is expected to be $25 million.

“The unforeseen structural conditions caused both the time extension and the budget increase,” Perkins said.

Asbestos removal held up the renovation; however, that problem has been resolved, she said.

The interior work, which includes the final painting, flooring, wall coverings, bathroom fixtures and lighting, is all that is left to be completed before the building can open, she added.

Bob Albanese, associate vice president of Finance and Facilities, said a fairly substantial part of the renovation, such as installing the grand staircase by crane, has yet to be done.

Albanese also said there still are operational issues, such as janitorial staffing, that need to be figured out in order to get the building operational again.

Glenda Jones, a counselor with the Bursar’s Office, said she is excited to see the castle reopened.

“I’d like to see the building living again,” she said. “They’re only good when people are using them.”

Junior marketing major Eric Schoenfeld also said he’d like to see the renovation finished.

“I’ve been going here for three years and it’s about [darn] time it gets done,” he said.