Construction on the Resnick Student Union has been paused pending final approval of the construction plans by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Unfortunately, this delay will postpone opening of the facility, said Debbie Adishian-Astone, vice president for administration and chief financial officer.
The expected opening date was originally fall 2021. The University is optimistic that the general contractor, McCarthy Building Companies, will be able to resume construction activities sometime this spring. Once construction has resumed, Fresno State will be able to announce a revised completion date that will be sometime in 2022, Adishian-Astone said.
During this time, Fresno State’s Facilities Management team is working closely with the general contractor to keep the project moving forward by procuring materials and equipment that have a long lead time for fabrication and installation and which are not impacted by the approval of the building plans by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The 84,000-square-foot Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union will include dynamic and flexible meeting spaces, dedicated spaces for clubs and organizations and a relaxing outdoor terrace for students. It is located east of the University Center and south of the Kennel Bookstore and will become the welcome center for campus visitors.
The $10 million investment from philanthropists and entrepreneurs Lynda and Stewart Resnick, owners of The Wonderful Company, is helping to support the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the new $60 million building. The Resnick Student Union will embrace the tenets of sustainability and achieve LEED Gold-equivalent certification, incorporating various energy efficiencies, including solar panels.
Fresno State students voted in March 2018 to approve a fee increase that supports the construction and operation of this new facility. The students won’t begin paying the fee — $149 per semester — until the student union opens.
Several other major gifts have been secured to support various spaces in the Resnick Student Union. For more information about naming a space through philanthropic support, contact David Hembree at dhembree@csufresno.edu or Richard Verducci at richardverducci@mail.fresnostate.edu.
