Students can drink a beer at the Reitz Union after winter break.
The Reitz expansion, which started May 2013, will cost about $75 million, said Eddie Daniels, the executive director of the Reitz. When students come back to school Jan. 5, they will be able to explore the newly renovated ground floor and first floor, and may be able to go onto the second floor. The third floor and the Rion Ballroom are behind schedule.
"They work from the bottom up," Daniels said.
The ground floor will offer students Orange and Brew, a restaurant and brewery, and a game room, where students can bowl and play pool, Daniels said. The first floor will have an atrium and an entrance to the Constans Theatre and UF Bookstore.
The game room may not be immediately available to students, he said. The room currently has temporary offices in it, and the furniture for it still has to be moved in.
"The winter break time is really the only time of year the Union is closed," he said.
The fire marshal has been inspecting the building, Daniels said. Starting Dec. 16, the contractors will have up to 45 days to make adjustments and corrections. When all adjustments are finished, a final date for the end of construction will be given.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is tentatively planned for Feb. 20, he said.
"Get ready, ‘cause it’s time," Daniels said.
Andrea Hammer, 19, was walking from her class in McCarty when she noticed the walls had come down.
"I think it’s exciting," the UF psychology sophomore said. "The design of the building is really pretty, so I’m really interested to see what it looks like."
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
The main foyer of the new expansion to the Reitz Student Union, seen on Oct. 29, 2015, was designed with UF’s mascot in mind. The railing on all three floors has alligator-shaped holes cut out and the wooden ceiling is patterned to mimic the underbelly of a gator.
