Eighteen months after construction began, the first floor of Sacramento State’s 53,000-square-foot bookstore is officially open for business.

Executive Director of University Affairs Matt Altier said the new bookstore, which will be fully functional on September 12, is twice the size of the previous bookstore. He said the bookstore’s big size allows for more room and a larger variety of products.

The bookstore’s first floor features everything from general books and apparel to gifts and software, Altier said. The second floor, which is set to open this fall, will offer textbooks and school supplies, among other things.

Due to its more efficient layout, the time in which students will have to wait in line will be significantly shorter.

Altier said University Affairs overall goal was to create an atmosphere similar to that of a Borders or Barnes & Noble.

“I’m really impressed with the new bookstore…especially with the fact that it will have a Java City,” said junior business major Adriana Romero.

Altier said the $23 million used to finance the structure was borrowed from a system-wide revenue bond.

“We are paying it back over the next 25 years,” Altier said. “We didn’t get a penny from state money or the University.”

University Enterprises, Inc. is currently formulating a plan for its advantageous uses with the primary possibility of building more classes on the first two floors, while the third floor would be used for office space.

“We are figuring out what ways we can use that space to build more classrooms, however, there are no promises or guarantees,” Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Joseph Sheley said. “It’s a matter of logistics and funding.”