Save a few finishing touches, the construction on Carrollton Hall is finally complete, said Robert Reed, director of Residential Life. The scaffolding surrounding the dormitory has been removed and the noise has been silenced.

“It rocks, man,” said music education senior and Cabra RA Emily Cashin. “It’s over!”

Carrollton Hall first opened for students in 1999, but two years ago some major structural problems with the building were discovered. Soon it became clear that they would have to take apart the entire building brick by brick, at which point the school got locked into a legal battle with the building’s contractor and architect. While this legal situation has yet to be resolved, 15 months ago Loyola began the long process of reworking Carrollton while the building was occupied.

“Katrina, in some sense, helped that process be a little quicker,” said Reed, explaining that work on the building continued through last semester. Because the students were not occupying the building, construction could be done on more than one floor at a time. Were it not for labor shortages caused by the hurricane, said Reed, the project might have been finished by January.

When the spring semester began, the project slowed down again. Despite the housing crisis in New Orleans, Loyola was able to accommodate all the students that needed housing.

Music business senior Georgia McBride, who has lived in Carrollton Hall for the past three years, said she was glad to finally see the Res Quad again. She said that she and her roommates were disappointed when construction consumed their building and began waking them up every morning, but they eventually got used to it helping them get out of bed in the morning.

“I was unpleasantly surprised, then I got used to it, and now I am pleasantly surprised that there is not construction,” said McBride.

There were many complaints about the noise, said Robert Reed, which was understandable, considering concrete slabs were being drilled into the building, but the project is done. Reed said that he too will be glad not to have to listen to the construction any more.

Said the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president: “I’m just glad that it’s over.”

The Residential Council is planning a party to celebrate the completion of Carrollton, said Cashin. The party is scheduled for April 10 at 4:30 p.m., and there will be music, crawfish, beer, ice cream and buttons.

“No holds barred on this one,” Cashin said.

Kevin Corcoran can be reached at [email protected].