Construction of the Martin C. Jischke Honors Building will soon be complete.

Liz Beck, director of the Honors Program, said the building should be operational when orientation begins in mid-May.

The Honors Program used to be housed in Osborn Cottage but was temporarily moved to Pearson Hall about a year ago.

The new Honors Building, which Beck said is double the size of Osborn Cottage, is located between Ross Hall and Horticulture Hall. It will contain three classrooms, a computer lab, a kitchenette and a lounge on the first floor. Offices will be on the second floor.

Ethernet ports are located around the lounge and classrooms so students with laptops will be able to use the network nearly everywhere in the building, which will be open 24 hours a day to students in the Honors Program.

This project has been in the works for nearly three years now, said Steve Prater, architect with Facilities Planning and Management.

“The building is pretty much completed,” he said. “It’s all pretty well tidied up and now it’s getting ready for folks to move in.”

Vice Provost Howard Shapiro said the new facility is a necessity since the Honors Program grew too large for Osborn Cottage. He said the Freshman Honors Program has grown by 50 percent since qualifications to join were changed.

“The cottage was small, and it was bulging at the seams,” he said.

“It’s a gorgeous building,” Beck said of the new facility. “It’s very well designed for its location.”

Prater said he is also pleased with the results of construction.

“It’s in a tight spot, but I think it’s going to work,” he said. “We’ve had several tours and students are happy with it and faculty are pleased.”

Shapiro said the overall hope is that the building will be more comfortable for students, and student input has been very important in the process of designing the atmosphere.

“We wanted it to feel like home, and not so institutional,” he said. “Faculty have been asking if they can come in the morning to read their paper and drink their coffee. I think students are really going to enjoy it.”