The Diana Davis Spencer Graduate School of Classical Education is scheduled to finish in May 2026. Courtesy | Catherine Maxwell

Construction on the façade of the student union will begin in November as work on the new classical education building remains on schedule to finish in May 2026, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé.

Bernice Grewcock donated the money for the Grewcock Student Union renovations, Péwé said. Renovations will begin as soon as micropiles, which are used to improve soil conditions for foundations, can be laid.

Péwé said the construction will be divided into two phases and should be finished in April 2026.

The plans involve building a stone portico and a copper roof with arcades topped with parapets running from Christ Chapel and Mossey Library. The designs also include decorative columns and replacements for the transom windows, doors, four large pendant lights, and surface stone. The tower of the student union will be rebuilt with brick and stone cornice and will also feature a copper roof.

“The victory bell that was originally in Central Hall, which currently sits outside Central Hall, will be installed in the tower,” Péwé said.

When Péwé spoke about the plans in March of this year, he said the project will unify the design of the campus.

“We wanted to rethink the Grewcock façade so that it was more to scale with and complimentary to the chapel,” he said.

Junior Makayla Hanna said she is interested to see how the new project will impact the remaining quad space and the chapel’s entrance.

“It’ll be nice to have the student union match the other buildings aesthetically,” Hanna said. “But it feels like a lot of construction happening at the same time and in the same area.”

Gerl Pish, a carpenter for Weigand Construction, said the Diana Davis Spencer Classical Education Building is proceeding smoothly.

“Interior walls are going up and door frames are getting set,” Pish said. “We’re going to start setting windows soon.”

Part of the construction process involves a mock-up window near the fence and across from the entrance to Mossey Library.

“It was built for practice before moving to the actual building,” Péwé said. “After it was completed, the architect inspected it to determine if it was to their exact specifications.”

Péwé said the model included every layer of the walls, such as the structural steel, window, insulation, waterproofing, brick and stone. After completing the mock-up, the architect found it close to the original specifications.

“Generally the mason will need to make adjustments before they start putting brick and stone on the building,” Péwé said. “Brick just arrived so that mason work will start as soon as possible.”

Péwé said crews will build similar models for other construction projects.

Hanna said she finds the window humorous but believes it has an important purpose.

“While it seems random and out of place given how far away the building is, it’s a good way to show visitors what the end result will look like,” Hanna said. “It’s a more tangible illustration than the images on the fence.”