Hearnes Hall construction continues as planned, with progress on schedule and within budget, said Bob Harrington, physical plant director.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of April. Offices within Hearnes will be occupied following the commencement of the fall semester.

“Most of the sheetrock is now up on the inside,” Harrington said.

“[Workers] are getting ready to start painting. They’ve changed out all of the windows at this point. The iron-work is up in the main entrance.”

The renovated three-story atrium entrance will give new students and parents visiting campus a clear indication of where to enter the building, and will be more attractive than the previous entrance, Harrington said.

Hearnes Hall will feature new flooring and an accompanying lion-head crest near the main entrance. There will be four office suites, each containing a 65-inch flat-screen television to display messages and updates for students.

“It’s all done in green and gold,” Harrington said. “Each one of the office suites are, done in a different shade of green so that the public areas are bold green and gold, while the office areas are more subdued.”

“The walls of the offices will all be glass so that it gives [the area] a wide-open appearance,” Harrington said.

The hallways have been changed from the previous straight-away design to accommodate the new office layout.

The Hearnes Hall construction is one part of a three-part construction project.

The previous construction projects included an infant center in the childhood development center and renovation to the second floor of Hearnes.

 The second floor construction has been postponed indefinitely due to budget cuts. Construction on the first floor and atrium will still be completed accordingly.

“It’s going to be a pretty neat setup,” Harrington said. “I think the students are really going to like it.”