In a turn of events, New Mexico State University’s Juniper Hall will be open Friday, Aug. 17 for the scheduled freshman move-in date.

Justin Bannister, the associate vice president of marketing and communications at NMSU said the university began informing students of the change this morning.

“NMSU is contacting students who had made reservations to live in Juniper to let them know the building will be ready and waiting for them this weekend,” Bannister wrote in an email. “The building still needs a few finishing touches, so students should expect to see workers on site there for the next couple of weeks or so.”

On Saturday, Aug. 10, incoming freshman were informed that they would likely have to wait to break in Juniper Hall, NMSU’s brand new residence center, as completion of the $15 million facility suffered multiple delays over the summer.

In the meantime, students would have been given a temporary room in either Piñon Hall, Garcia Hall or Rhodes-Garrett Hamiel Hall, with discounted room rates during the time not spent in Juniper Hall, according to an NMSU news release.

Incoming freshman Melody Payne said initially the information she received was vague, but is glad NMSU took the necessary measures to ensure the building’s safety.

“What I was told is that the dorms aren’t ready and all the inspections haven’t been passed yet, so I’m having to stay in RGH with my roommate until Aug. 30,” Payne said. “I actually had to call back and figure out what dorm [room] I was going to be staying in and everything.”

The press release cited ongoing construction and a lack of a certificate of occupancy as chief setbacks for Juniper Hall’s opening — which had already been postponed once after the original “demand date” of July 24.

Around 226 students and nine resident assistants are anticipated to move into the residence center this Friday, Bannister said.