Supply shortages are affecting construction projects across the country, as well as on campus. The delay in materials has resulted in postponement of the completion of the Bridwell Activities Center and Cannedy Greek Commons. Kyle Owen, associate vice president of facility services, said the pandemic has taken a toll on the progress of the structure.

“The pandemic has kind of wreaked havoc on that project,” Owen said.

Officials for the project originally hoped to have it up and running by the fall of 2021 but due to a lack of materials, like steel and aluminum, and a delay on components like glass, the new expected completion date is May 20. Owen said it could be even later than that.

“Delays in materials, delivery, what we’re told on items. It should be done by [May 20] but I’m not going to guarantee it. I would fully anticipate it to be used by the fall,” Owen said.

The BAC will be located to the north of the Clark Student Center, where the Daniel building used to be. Matthew Park, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said that the BAC will be built within the structural frame of the Daniel building.

“The shell of the building is the same, it’s like the bones of the building but it was what they call a ‘messy remodel’ meaning the entire inside was essentially gutted so all you had were the structural supports but all of the walls and everything in them came down and then your building within that skeletal structure,” Park said.

The completion of the first floor of the BAC will be known as “phase one.” The funding for the first floor of the BAC came as a five million dollar donation from the Bridwell Foundation. The completion of the second floor will be called “phase two”, but until the funding for that is secured, the second floor will be used primarily as mechanical space for heating and air conditioning equipment that serves the first floor.

“All of this is happening on the first floor of the building which we’re calling phase one. We hope at some point in the future, obviously pending the donations to do it, to have a phase two, which would be the ability to remodel the second floor of the building,” Park said.

The BAC will be focused on student engagement and involvement. When completed, it will be equipped with a multipurpose room, seminar room, coffee shop, and common space for students to hang out. Park said the BAC will act as an extension of the Clark Student Center, allowing two offices to move from the CSC to the BAC. Those offices are the Student Leadership and Involvement office, and the Student Government Association office. Park said that moving some things to the BAC from the CSC will provide students with more room to learn and grow.

“We need to make sure we are also giving our student center back to our students. They should be able to do their programs, they should be able to do their events. We should have a robust atmosphere for student organizations, for those peer connections and that peer learning,” Park said.

The Mustangs Pantry will also be moved to the BAC to provide students who may be experiencing food insecurity with even more options. The Mustangs Pantry is currently a small space within the student government suite in the CSC. Park said the new building will provide the pantry with its own space in the BAC.

“It will have it’s own space in the Bridwell Activities Center and it’s a larger space so they will be able to expand their offerings that are available to those students experiencing food insecurity,” Park said.

The Cannedy Greek Commons will house five Greek chapters that are mostly using space in Fain Hall for the time being. Those chapters are Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Kappa, and Sigma Lambda Alpha. Hannah Harder, primary education junior, is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority. Harder said that the new building will provide many benefits for students. She also said it will offer students more space to get things done and allow for more students to participate as well.

“There are lots of benefits. Definitely more people are able to be included. There is more room to do the things that we need to do,” Harder said.