With 50 percent of the construction done, Barsema Hall — the new $20 million home for the College of Business — is expected to be ready for its fall 2002 opening.

“We’re moving forward and on schedule,” said Eddie Williams, executive vice president of Finance and Facilities. “We have not encountered any negative things.”

Recently, the stone cement blocks and the roof frame were put in.

“If you drive past the building, you can see the brick work at the end of the building and dry wall has been put up in some of the rooms,” NIU Foundations President Mallory Simpson said.

The weather so far this winter has been incredibly helpful, officials said. Construction workers are prepared if the weather takes a turn for the worse, though.

“In the schedule, we took the weather into consideration,” Williams said.

The building almost is enclosed, except for the windows, which haven’t been installed yet.

Interior work is what’s left to be done. That includes the ceilings, walls, stairs and “a whole lot of other stuff,” Williams said.

“The building is looking phenomenal,” Simpson said. “It is coming together very quickly.”

The building is named after Dennis Barsema, an NIU 1977 management graduate and president and CEO of Onetta Inc., who donated $20 million to the university last semester. Barsema’s donation was announced in September and is the largest gift in NIU’s history.

The moving of the College of Business into Barsema Hall will take place during the summer, but the date hasn’t been set yet.

“We are just happy and very pleased,” Williams said.

The future of Wirtz Hall, which is the current home for the College of Business, has not yet been determined. Williams says that decision will be made soon.

“There are still recommendations and discussions going on,” Williams said. “It could be momentarily.”

Right now, Wirtz Hall is available to any college.

“Everybody needs space,” Williams said. “We want to make the right decision. Hopefully, there will be an announcement soon.”