Huntsman Hall to be completed next fall

Officials at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business said the new addition to the business building, Huntsman Hall, is still on track to meet its fall of 2015 deadline. However, as winter approaches, officials said construction on the addition may slow down due to the weather.

Dave Patel, associate dean of the business college, said there is a chance this winter’s weather could play a role in finishing the building on time.

“We got lucky last year with mild weather that enabled construction to continue for much of winter,” Patel said. “That may or may not happen this year, and that could push the timetable back.”

Business senator Scott Laneri said the building won’t immediately be available to students after construction ends.

“Students should understand, however, that it will completed during the fall of 2015 and will be used by students for the spring 2016 semester,” Laneri said.

While the weather may not have affected construction so far, it still affected the faculty and staff during the summer when the existing business building was renovated to make way for the upcoming additions.

“For several weeks the building did not have air conditioning or working restrooms,” Patel said. “Many staff members worked out of a couple of classrooms due to their office spaces undergoing renovation.”

However, Patel said students and faculty understand this is just a “reality of construction.”

The college may be willing to put up with the realities of construction because they believe Huntsman Hall will bring a lot to the education of business students at Utah State University.

“We are most excited with the addition of 21 new classrooms and 21 new student meeting rooms,” Patel said. “Our students will benefit from these great new spaces.”

Patel said the new addition will also include a courtyard between the two buildings, a café, two outdoor terraces and lots of open spaces that will “create an environment of collaboration.”

Patel said student involvement was important to the creation of Huntsman Hall.

“We have been very careful in designing the entire building with student needs foremost in mind and included student input from the earliest stages of planning,” Patel said.

Laneri said he is excited for the new additions Huntsman Hall will bring to student life in the business building.

“I’m most excited for the new student rooms,” Laneri said. “Right now, the business building is pretty desolate after 5 p.m. or so, but the new spaces are designed specifically for out-of-the-classroom student experiences, so I think students will have a place to study, socialize, hang out, etc.”

Laneri also said Huntsman Hall will add 117,000 square feet to the business building.

“That’s huge,” Laneri said. “Basically, it’s doubling the square footage of our current building.”

Kyle Spackman, a business senator for the college, said Huntsman Hall will be a great addition to university.

“Between classes, clubs and other activities I am in the business building for a large part of the day,” Spackman said. “The Huntsman Hall seems to have a focus on providing for the students, and I appreciate that.”

Laneri said the building will help the mission of the business college.

“The School of Business has a mission to become one of the best undergraduate business schools in the country,” Laneri said. “This building will help to speed up the progress of the school and will serve as an important symbol of the quality at the School of Business. When companies, students and other visitors visit the Huntsman School, the new building will help to provide a lasting impression.”

-wheatle_7@yahoo.com

-@wheatstweets7