MUC addition on schedule

Construction on the Muenster University Center expansion is in full swing.

Construction crews were scheduled to break ground this summer, but progress was visible a few weeks ago.

Cathy Wagner, director for Planning & Construction at the University of South Dakota, said most of the work being completed right now is laying foundation for the 30,000-square-foot addition, which is scheduled for completion in early 2014.

“We’re doing a lot of foundations, footings and removing topsoil,” Wagner said. “By the end of December, we should have most of the ground work done.”

Wagner said she was not worried about the weather negatively impacting construction during the fall semester, and that most of the preliminary work wouldn’t be affected by snow.

“Unless we have the blizzard of the century,” she added. “Then we might be in trouble.”

Wagner said construction will result in the closure of portions of the MUC this coming summer, but said she was confident it would not affect students during the academic year.

“The nice thing about the MUC expansion is it’s inspired by how the students use the existing MUC, which I find exciting,” she said.

But the expansion has been in limbo after a lawsuit threatened to halt all construction.

Wagner said she couldn’t comment on the lawsuit filed against the architecture firm that designed the addition by the architects who designed the original MUC earlier this semester.

“Sadly, we’re not allowed to talk about it at this time,” Wagner said. “But I can just say we were always planning on completing construction in early 2014.”

Jeff Baylor, USD’s vice president for Marketing, Enrollment and Student Services, confirmed Wagner’s statement on the expansion’s completion date.

“The project is on schedule,” Baylor said. “We’re fairly confident with what we’ve done so far. The target date is still spring 2014.”

While students are excited about the prospect of expansion, many are less enthused about the actual construction.

“It’s annoying, for the most part,” sophomore Amanda Hogg said. “It’s loud and all over the place and you have to reroute your walk across campus. I’m happy they’re doing it, but it’s pretty annoying.”

Graduate student Courtney Beck said she doesn’t mind the construction very much.

“I’ve just kind of gotten used to construction on campus,” Beck said, adding that the inconvenience would ultimately be worth it.

The expansion, projected to cost $10 million, will include an expanded dining area with 1,200 additional seats, and will offer dining from national food chains such as Qdoba, Einstein Bros.