Construction on the $9.8 million north campus San Pablo residence hall has been delayed another month, ASU residential life officials said.
Residential life moved completion of the 125-room hall from the end of November to the end of December, after realizing that the finishing touches to the hall will take longer than expected.
Officials said they are confident construction will be completed in time for the 250 students to move in beginning in January.
"Everything is on track and it will be completed by the end of December and available for student occupation in the spring," ASU project manager David Ivan said.
Residential life had originally planned on opening San Pablo in August, but due to a series of delays, construction was pushed back four months.
During the beginning stages of construction, crews found ancient Hohokam Indian ruins during excavation and unearthed a large unexpected SRP flood drainage pipe while digging the basement.
Crews have finished installing the carpet and are touching up paint damaged during construction. Landscaping around the building and the final cleaning of the rooms will also take place in December.
"A lot of it is detail work they're still completing," said Jennifer Hiatt, associate director of residential life.
Construction crews are also working to install metal security gates on the east and west sides of the building and painting the metal canopies, railings and stairs placed around the hall. Furniture for the rooms, classroom and lobby will be delivered the first week of January.
"Based on the Christmas holiday we certainly anticipate the final acceptance at the end of December or the very beginning of January," Ivan said.
A final walk-through of the building will be performed by the architect, contractor and members of ASU facilities planning at the end of December.
During the walk-through, officials tour the classroom, lobby and all the rooms to make sure the building meets the standards indicated on the drawings.
Students moving into San Pablo will include new residents and those who originally applied to live in San Pablo during the fall semester.
Some students scheduled to live in San Pablo were transferred to the Palo Verde Main complex.
Students living in Palo Verde Main were disappointed that they would not be living in a new room when they got here in the fall, but said they will be ready to move.
"I'm very excited because we've gotten to the point where we've been here for a while, and we want to redecorate the room," psychology freshman Jill Eide said.
Broadcasting freshman Bryan Boillot and his roommate, architecture freshman Jared Lundy, have checked out their new home.
"I'm looking forward to it a lot," Boillot said. "We went over and looked at the room and it was a little smaller, but the bathroom was a lot bigger."
Reach Christina Higdon at grimm119@aol.com.
