Grand opening of the Lynda & Stewart Resnick Student Union at Fresno State

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Construction is complete and the brand new student union for Fresno State students officially opened its doors Tuesday.

With the cut of a ribbon, what was once just a rendering, is now real life.

A brand new student union officially opened on Fresno State's campus.

The three-story building is 84,000 square feet.

Fresno State President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval says they dreamed of what this space could become for students.

"A place of gathering, a place of exploring and collaboration, a place of belonging, a place of ownership for Fresno State students for now and for the future as well," Jimenez-Sandoval said.

On the first floor is a lounge area. There's also The Ruiz, a multipurpose room that fits up to 1,200 people.

On the second floor, you'll find sprawling views, an outdoor terrace and conference rooms.

On the third floor there is space for student leadership, the associated students office and student involvement.

Several students on campus Tuesday got their first look inside. .

"I like how it's modernized and something for like our generation to be excited about to look out to," said junior Dominique Hernandez.

Audrey Pichurko, a sophomore, said she likely won't get much use out of the space because she commutes to school.

"It's nice to look at and I appreciate it for other students, so it's good for them."

Mayra Sahagun, a junior, said she hoped the new space would help reduce crowding at the other student union.

The building was born out of a 2018 student-led referendum that passed with 67% of student support.

Students also approved a $149 fee per semester, starting upon the opening of the facility, to help fund the $65 million project.

The 2022 fee will be prorated based on the soft opening and will be included with the Spring 2023 tuition payment for a total of $263.

The fee referendum also included a 3% annual fee increase. It will help pay off the debt and keep up with the annual operating expenses.

The building is named after Lynda and Stewart Resnick.

They are the founders of The Wonderful Company and donated $10 million to the project.

The Interim Associate Dean of Student Involvement, Amy Allen said the space was desperately needed to support the growing number of students at Fresno State.

"There's just a lot of little nooks and crannies where students can lounge in between classes and so I just hope students use it and take take full advantage of it while they're here at Fresno State." Allen said.

Additional dining options will also be opening next year in the Resnick Student Union.

That includes a Habit Burger, a soup and salad concept, and a full service Taco Bell.