Areas of the new Northwest College student center are starting to take shape with the project back on schedule after weather and a large active shooting drill had temporarily delayed the project.

NWC board trustees, administrators and staff all got a chance to tour the building site Monday before the monthly board meeting.

"I think it’s a pretty amazing facility, more so than what I had anticipated," trustee Dusty Spomer said. "I was blown away with how well it's going to tie in to the core of campus."

NWC President Lisa Watson led trustees through the building in hard hats and vests as Groathouse workers and subcontractors worked on various parts of the two story building and on the roof.

"It has been going very, very well for a project of this scale," said Jake Schrickling with the state construction department, adding, "We're right on schedule and we're doing very well budget wise."

Schrickling said its unusual in the state right now to have a project as big as this one that is on schedule and on budget.

"We were a little behind with weather, active shooting drill, rainy season last summer, the framing crew really picked up the time, made up two weeks, it’s pretty impressive actually," he said. "And we're still tracking really well on our contingency."

That extra construction budget money from the state has been utilized to keep the college's budget by, he said, paying for unexpected extra excavation work after an unknown large layer of clay was found, and for more campus lighting around the building to increase student safety.

"That's why we have contingency," he said.

Work on the overall $23,421,663 project, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, began in January with demolition of the nearly 60-year-old DeWitt Student Center. The new, two-floor, 35,220-square foot facility is scheduled to open in August of 2024. Located on the same footprint as the DeWitt Student Center, the building will house NWC’s dining hall and food service operations in addition to a coffee bar, student lounge, student activities center, and state-of-the-art study and instructional spaces. Offices for resident life, campus security and student success, an area for student clubs and a multi-purpose community meeting room are also included.