While the Science II construction project is still on track to open on time for the fall 2019 semester, the University Union renovation project now joins Parking Structure V among Sacramento State construction projects that won’t be finished until at least a semester after initial projections.

Todd McComb, a project manager in Facilities Management, said the University Union renovation expansion project will now be completed in the middle of December after it was originally expected to be completed in August, before the fall 2018 semester begins.

The project was announced at the beginning of the fall 2016 semester and the construction started in the spring 2017 semester.

In January 2018, Tania Nunez, another project manager in Facilities Management, said that she knew the Union was delayed, but that she thought the project would be ready in October or November of the fall 2018 semester.

McComb said that the delay is due to inclement weather, but he doesn’t see the project going further than December.

“The contractor is seeking fire marshal approval for occupancy around mid-December of 2018, which will allow the Union to open to the public,” McComb said.

The walkway that lies in-between the Science II construction site and the University Union on Jed Smith Drive has been closed since the fall 2017 semester began and it might be reopened before the Union construction is complete.

Right now, that walkway is closed because of the dangers it poses with construction workers walking and moving supplies back and forth between construction sites, according to Nunez.

“The walkway has the potential of re-opening around November of 2018 if the construction activity winds down as planned,” McComb said.

The building that will become the Science II building and will be known as the Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex has started to take shape and is expected to be completed in time for the fall 2019 semester, according to Nunez.

“We will start to see steel go up in about a month,” Nunez said.

The complex being built by Sundt Construction began construction in September 2017 and is projected to take a little less than two years to complete and be ready for use.

Getting the steel up is the first step to ensure that the roof can go up before winter when the chances of rain are higher. Nunez said that as long as the roof goes up before winter, she thinks the project will be completed on time.

Unlike Parking Structure V, Nunez said that rain won’t really affect the time it takes to finish the structure because a lot of the construction can be done indoors underneath the roof if it is raining.

Delays could happen if the roof isn’t on before winter, but Nunez said she is confident the roof will be on before then.

Nunez said that if the roof is on, the rain would only affect minor site work.

Parking Structure V will continue construction as usual, according to Nunez, even with the contract having expired on April 5 between Sac State and contractor Clark Pacific and no new contract in place.

Even though it could take a couple of weeks to renegotiate the contract, construction will continue, according to Nunez. Each extra day could cost the school $5,500.

Nunez said the negotiations will start once Clark Pacific submits paperwork showing why the project — which was supposed to open at the beginning of this spring semester — took so long.

Nunez said that weather and unforeseen events that could include having to move underground pipes or interfering with natural surroundings, could be reasons the delay occurred.

Construction on the project began in the beginning of the fall 2017 semester and it was projected to be opened just one semester later due to the the readiness of the structure. Clark Pacific already had 1,274 precast components in Woodland that would decrease manpower.

On Sept. 20, Clark Pacific Pre-Construction Manager Erik Winje told The State Hornet that deadlines were being followed carefully to ensure the structure opened on time for the spring 2018 semester.

Since, it has seen a series of delays. It was announced before the semester began by Nunez that the structure would not open on time and would be delayed until March.

On Feb. 19, Tony Lucas, the senior director of University Transportation and Parking Services, said that he expected the structure to be ready March 26, the day after spring break.

Days before students were set to return from spring break, Sac State stated in a Facebook post that the earliest the structure will be completed is May 8.

The last day of instruction in the spring semester is May 11 before finals week starts on May 14 and concludes on May 18.

“I would like seniors to be able to park at least once or twice in the new garage before they graduate,” Nunez said.