After years of planning and construction that cost $120 million of student fees, rental revenue from retail operations and other sources, Talley Student Union is finally set to open prior to the start of orientation in June. The final inspection is scheduled for April 28, and there are plans to start opening parts of the Student Union after inspections.
Tim Hogan, the operations director of the university student centers, hopes to start opening parts of the building in the next few weeks following inspection.
“Once we have the entire building open, students can start spreading out,” Hogan said. “You can see how crowded the Phase I side is. More public meeting places will become available and open as quickly as possible. Currently we are working on a combination of furniture installation and opening the building.”
Talley Student Union is planning a formal dedication in September of the fall semester for the incoming freshmen and current students to explore the new Talley.
“This is going to be a public celebration and commemoration that the campus community will be invited to,” Hogan said. “There will be a week or two weeks-worth of events related.”
The completion of Talley Student Union will bring two new dining options to students: Starbucks Coffee, which will be located on the lower-level entrance near Cates Avenue and Morrill Drive; and 1887 Bistro, which will be located on the second floor directly above Starbucks and can seat about 100 people. Both dining options are expected to open sometime during the summer.
Wolfpack Outfitters, the new NC State bookstore, is also taking time to install all of their fixtures in the store before freshman orientation. Currently, another vendor is working to bring in the displays for clothing, apparel and textbooks.
“The thing I’m most looking forward to is the new bookstore. I’m excited to see what it looks like and how it improves upon the current store,” said Brooke Powers, a freshman studying engineering.
Other additions will include the new Wolfpack One office, Department of Greek Life and the organizations that are relocating from Harrelson Hall. Moving day for the organizations has been pushed back from May 11 to May 18.
This semester, graduation events such as commencement and the chancellor’s reception will also be hosted at the Talley Student Union on May 9.
Hogan encourages seniors graduating this year who will not be able to experience the finished student union to visit their alma mater when the student union is completely open.
Austin Kendrick, a senior studying political science and graduating in May, does not mind that he will not get to see the new Talley.
“Coffee places better than PCJ would have been nice during my time here, but it wasn’t the end of the world,” Kendrick said. “At least I got some use out of Hunt Library before leaving.”
The $120 million project is phased in over several years of student fees and is capped at $290 per year per student, according to the Talley Student Union records.
“I think we’ll just have to see what the developmental phase results in,” said Weaver Kirkpatrick, a junior studying civil engineering. “At the time, I am a little hesitant about how it’s raising fees. Given the amount of use Talley is at currently, we’ll just have to see how things fair.”
However, Hogan said student fees are important to the future of NC State.
“Students have to pay the fees and pay it forward for the next generation,” he said. “Hopefully those folks who are graduating will come back during homecoming or to visit.”
With more spaces come more places for students to interact with each other. Hogan said that once these places open, students will have freedom to designate what each space becomes.
“Similar to what we have seen so far, we will let places kind of self-form,” Hogan said. “Not because anybody said they’re supposed to be not quiet—multiple spaces that will become whatever they become. We’re not going to designate any places as a quiet zone.”
The new spaces will also provide more responsibility for the current staff at Talley.
“We’re essentially going to be responsible for almost double the amount of rooms. It’ll just be more demanding, but we’re also hiring a bunch of new people,” said Brodie Ford, a freshman studying biological sciences and an employee of Campus Enterprises Facilities Operations.
Hogan hopes that the final completion of the new Talley Student Union will create a space for interaction and critical success for members of the NC State community.
The grand entrance to Talley Student Union undergoes cleaning for its final inspection scheduled on April 28th. The completed Talley, which has a $120 million budget, will hold the new bookstore, new food and coffee retailers and provide students with much more room to relax and gather.
