Ivy College of Business students and staff celebrated the opening of the 45,000 square foot addition to the Gerdin Business Building on Monday.

According to the Ivy Business website, the construction started in February 2019, and beginning in January 2021, classes will be held in the new space.

“[The addition] includes 40 percent more space, seven team rooms, a central common area that will be available as a student study space, a state-of-the-art sales suite, 35 faculty office spaces, and five additional classrooms,” the website said.

Suzanne Lyndon, event planner for the Ivy College of Business, said she was most excited about the Kingland Hub, a large common area where the opening event took place.

“It was really a design with students in mind…the Kingland Hub will be a great space for students to just relax and study,” Lyndon said.

Colin Hurley, senior in finance, said he is glad the renovation will provide more space with team rooms and lounging areas for business students to work, and he is most excited for one of the new classrooms that has a full wall of windows and a great view of campus.

“I think [the new space] is going to be a great addition […] because students aren’t going to be competing with other colleges; they can just come in here and get their projects done while they’re in the business building,” Hurley said.

Aadira Aai-Arivudai, junior in supply chain management, said she was excited about the new sales suite, which is a set of offices with cameras that allow students to do mock interviews and watch themselves afterward.

“I think the sales suite is really cool [and] isn’t something that we have had before,” Aai-Arivudai said.