CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Computer science sophomore Andy Schmidt and architecture freshman Hilary Post relax outside the new Student Union Memorial Center Sunday afternoon. The union's grand opening is this week.

One of the biggest parties UA has ever seen begins today.

And it's all in honor of a building.

Administrators will officially dedicate the largest student union in the nation without a hotel ÷ the new Student Union Memorial Center.

At 405,000 square feet and nearly 9.3 acres, it is double the size of the original student union.

It's not just a union, it's a small city, said Dan Adams, director of UA student unions.

"The word I hear constantly is, ÎWow. Wow it's big. Wow it's beautiful.' This is what I like to call the ÎWow' building," Adams said.

Although it's taken three years, 12 million pounds of steel, and over $60 million to construct the union, it's still not finished.

As students celebrate and check out the new union, construction workers scurry to put the finishing touches on the building.

CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Dance sophomore Rebecca Whittington and James Ross of Jacksonville, Fla., read a list of names in the Student Union Memorial Center of UA alumni who died in World Wars I and II. The new union cost $60 million to build.

Construction won't be completely finished for another month, Adams said.

"We still have meeting rooms to get open. We still have few retail operations to get open but for the most part we're there," he said.

Many of the building's meeting rooms will remain closed through the 24th and some retail spaces still remain empty.

"There is still a lot of stuff that isn't open," said Keith Whitten, creative writing sophomore.

Two of those spaces will soon be filled, however, with a CD store and the new Kaplan testing center.

We have renovated the core of the campus and completely changed the face of the Mall. - President Pete Likins

In addition, Chick-Fil-A is also still under construction with a projected opening date of late March.

"It's a real challenge to get all the operations up and running," Adams said.

Administrators faced various dilemmas with the prospect of a new union even before any ground was broken.

Originally, administrators had wanted students to shoulder half the financial burden of the union by paying a $40 per semester fee.

The fee, if passed, would have helped pay for $31 million of the $60 million project.

After students overwhelmingly rejected the fee, the union was forced to seek out other donations, Adams said.

The union has since raised over $6 million in private donations for the $60 million project. The union and the bookstore will pay for the rest from revenue they earn.

In addition, Swinerton Builders has covered the costs of about 40,000 square feet of construction after they went over their contracted budget.

"Swinerton has donated it to the university," Jennings joked.

Despite the financial dilemmas, President Pete Likins said that the union had to be rebuilt because the old one was in such disrepair.

"When I first toured the student union pipes were dripping, wires were exposed and I said, ÎMy God! If the health department ever sees this place they are going to shut us down,'" Likins said.

In order to accommodate students during construction, the project was separated in to two phases, isolating only one part of the union at a time, which doubled the duration of the project, Jennings said.

"It was like trying to turn a bedroom into a living room and losing a bathroom but at the same time you are being told you can't close the kitchen," Jennings said.

Information desk employee Olga Halich was moved three times before settling into the new information center.

"It was really a challenge, but in the long run it was worth it," Halich said, "It's really nice and modern and accessible."

But not everyone was happy with the construction.

"They herded us like cattle with fences and construction signs," said Jill Bromley, junior majoring in Spanish.

The closing of sections of the UA Mall and ever-changing construction detours angered much of the campus population.

"It really disrupted the campus community and made it something of an uncomfortable working environment," said Whitten.

UA officials said the struggle to rebuild was worth it, calling the new union the apex of nearly a decade of planning.

The building's opening caps off an era of student focused-construction projects including the International Learning Center, a library expansion and the Eddie Lynch Pavilion sports facility, Likins said.

"This was not just a bunch of projects," Likins said. "We have renovated the core of the campus and completely changed the face of the Mall."

Open 18 hours per day, the union offers state-of-the-art technology as well as entertainment. Six screens will flash campus news to keep students connected at all times, administrators said.

A new art gallery will house local and national artwork year round with an emphasis on artwork reflecting the culture of Arizona.

The reincarnation of the Gallagher Theatre will offer discounted movie screenings with digital sound and over 342 seats with extra legroom and built in Internet terminals.

In addition, the new bookstore nearly tripled the size of its sales floor, which has allowed it to include new features like a Clinique makeup counter.

A nine-screen video wall will display academic and cultural programs, allowing students to watch news from around the world while they shop.

Despite all the amenities, student reaction to the new union has been mixed.

Some students like Melissa Callahan, an art education junior, are impressed by the new union.

"I think it's super-swank," Callahan said.

Others said that administrators went over the top with construction.

"I think it's a little too extravagant," said pre-pharmacy sophomore Adrienne Goeller, "I wouldn't expect something like this at a public university.

Regardless of public opinion, the party will go on.

However, because the university is faces budget cuts, much of the party will be sponsored events and low-cost festivities like live music and a historic car show, Adams said.

"Times aren't easy at the university, so with that in mind we felt very positive that we need to celebrate the new student union and have some fun with it but at the same time we don't need to be just throwing money away," Adams said.

The union will offer 131 events through Saturday, including a fireworks explosion and a children's carnival on Saturday night.

Union tours will be given throughout the week, as well as free movie screenings at Gallagher and free prizes giveaways everyday.

"It's going to be a heck of a party," Adams said.