As students make their way back to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette after the winter break, they'll find a new Student Union where they can eat, drink and socialize.

The Advocate reports the university's new hub for student activity is set to open with the start of the spring 2015 semester this week after two years of construction.

Garland Rodriguez, assistant director of building services, the new union will have a soft launch on Wednesday as a few featured components of the building are not complete.

The new 178,000-square-foot union dwarfs its 125,000-square-foot predecessor with amenities like an art museum, multiple food stations, a larger dining hall and a large courtyard overlooking the university's Cypress Lake.

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