Most of the much-anticipated Price
Center expansion will be completed
by early next month, if UCSD can secure approval from the fire marshal and
construction conditions are favorable during the next two and a half weeks.

According to University Centers Director Paul Terzino, March
10 will mark the opening of the first level, which includes general indoor
dining seating, lounge seating, computer labs, study rooms and lockers; the
third level, which will be comprised of student organization offices; and the
fourth level, which will house offices for A.S. councilmembers and meeting
rooms.

“A project this large and complex usually finishes in
stages,” Terzino said in an e-mail. “The second floor, including the Ballroom,
Alumni Association and Cross-Cultural Center will be completed within weeks
after the initial opening.”

Construction worker Jermy LaJoie operates a tar machine as part of the ongoing Price Center expansion project. The first phase of the renovation is expected to open on March 10. (Erik Jepsen/Guardian)

Because the expansion team had originally expected to open Price
Center’s doors at the beginning of
Winter Quarter, events had already been scheduled in the Loft, the nightclub
performance space and social lounge.

University Events Office Director Martin Wollesen said that
ArtPower! had scheduled the Tentacle Sessions and FilmPower! scheduled its
Teeny Tiny Film Series in the Loft, which had to be moved to different venues
such as Porter’s Pub and the California Institute for Telecommunications and
Information Technology.

However, Wollesen said he knew that the Loft might not be
completed by the projected date, and had already made backup plans to house the
events.

Terzino said that because the project is so large, there are
numerous reasons why the completion date has been delayed.

“In the case of both the Price
Center and Student
Center, the original architectural
plans specified utility conditions that were incomplete and inaccurate,” he
said. “A significant amount of additional work had to be done to work around
these conditions, which created delays.”

Additionally, some exterior glass for the building did not
fit properly and needed to be reordered, and constant rain over the past few
weeks has also been an issue, Terzino said.

The Price Center
expansion is the third and final stage of the University Centers’ construction
project. The first stage, a renovation of Student
Center, included the restoration of
the General Store Co-op, A.S. Soft Reserves, the UCSD Bike Shop, the Food
Co-op, KSDT Radio, Student-Run Television and two unisex bathrooms on the
second floor.

The second stage, which included the creation of the central
plaza and additional indoor seating at the Grove Caffe, has also been
completed.

On April 25, there will be a grand-opening celebration to
highlight student ownership of Price Center
and recognize the expanded facility as a place to enhance the student
experience at UCSD, Terzino said.