South Dakota Union Opens for Business After Almost two Years of Renovations

After nearly two years of construction, the South Dakota Union is open for business.

According to the Clay County Historical Preservation Society’s Campus & Historic Buildings: Walking Tour, the South Dakota Union opened in 1930 as the student union. 

In 1965, the building became an office and classroom space when a new student union was built on the site of the now Muenster University Center.

According to Senior Construction Project Manager Brian Muehlbeier, the renovation of the South Dakota Union went smoothly and ahead of schedule.

“The floors weren’t level, and once we took all the old walls out, we had a blank slate to start from,” Muehlbeier said.

The South Dakota Union has three new classrooms on the second and fourth floors, which are expected to be used for classes in early October.

Additionally, the Psychological Services Center will call the South Dakota Union home. Located on the first floor, the PSC will have a separate entrance on the west side of the building next to Parking Lot 23.

The renovation of the South Dakota Union comes with a price tag of $6.7 million, though.

Construction isn’t done at USD: the next building to see a major renovation will be Churchill-Haines Laboratory.

Muehlbeier says that unlike the South Dakota Union, the tenants of Church-Haines Laboratory cannot be moved to a temporary location such as Noteboom Hall.

“It will be done in two phases, which will take two to three years to complete,” Muehlbeier said. 

Another building slated to receive some improvements is East Hall. This summer, the first floor will be renovated.

“The intent of that project is to bring anthropology from the basement and put them on the first floor,” Muehlbeier said.

Although faculty are still moving from Noteboom Hall to the South Dakota Union, the new building is open to the public. 

A ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony will take place October 10.