Seniors should get a chance to see a completed Talley Student Union before they graduate this spring, as the university announced that construction is finally nearing completion and is set to fully open near the end of this semester. 

Tim Hogan, the director of the University Student Centers, said construction deals and material deliveries could cause delays, so an exact date has not been set for the spring opening just yet.

“Most of the interior work still needs to be done,” Hogan said. “The majority of the exterior facility still needs to be completed, so working on the interior finishes like the floors, ceilings and walls. 

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for the Talley Student Union are currently being tested. In addition, the fire suppressant system is in the process of installation and testing, Hogan said. 

In the past month, temporary walls have been put in place in the building to divide the open parts of the building to the active construction sites. 

The temporary walls have caused students to hear more construction inside of Talley than they could in the past, according to Hogan. 

Phase two also will create gathering places for nine student-centered departments as well as 600 student organizations.

“The student involvement center, student government, UAB, Greek Life, all of those offices move in Phase two, so that’s really going to invigorate student engagement on campus with all of those areas,” Hogan said.

Many seniors and juniors who have experienced the construction of the Talley Student Union throughout their university career are excited to see the unveiling. 

Although the construction prohibited many students from enjoying the student union fully, Khari Cyrus, a junior studying biological sciences, is not at all bitter.

“I did have the privilege of being able to experience old Talley and with Talley construction, there were other options where students could go and hang out, whether that was Bragaw activity room or places around campus,” Cyrus said. 

Cyrus said he is glad the construction came during the time it did because it allowed him to get to experience both old and new Talley. 

“Particularly for me and my class, the class of 2016, it’s great because we get to experience the greatness of old Talley as well as a semester or two of the renovated Talley, so I think it would be worth it,” Cyrus said. 

Neel Mandavilli, a senior studying political sciences, said that the university is always in a constant state of construction or improvement to its facilities.

“I think any given year, no matter whose year, they’re going to find themselves in the midst of some construction project that’s going on,” Mandavilli said. “I’m optimistic that it will finish on time.”

Freshman first-year engineer, Jacob Alfieri said he is most looking forward to the new eating establishments out of everything else opening in the student union.

“It will be somewhere else to eat besides the same four restaurants at Talley all the time,” Alfieri said. “It’s supposed to be a nicer restaurant from what I’ve heard, so I’m looking forward to that. I’m not really a big Starbucks person.”

University dining on campus has been partnering with Talley to create a couple of more restaurants, which will open, in the final phase of the process. 

“Starbucks will be located on the first floor in the south side of the building near Cates and Morill,” Hogan said. “On the third floor directly above the Starbucks will be the 1887 Bistro developed by University dining which is a sit down, full-service restaurant.”

Mandavilli said Talley should be a place where students can come together to have conversations. 

“I think that it is more than important to have a place where students around campus can discuss important issues and talk to each other,” Mandavilli said. “I hope that new Talley when it’s fully ready to go, will be a place where students can come together and collaborate and basically think critically in a space that encourages conversation and dialog.”

The project, which began in 2010, was originally divided into two phases. The completion of the second phase will bring new eating establishments, ballrooms, common areas and student involvement offices.  

The second phase began July 2013, and since then, has been divided to include a final phase, which includes the completion of the entire construction process.