Quote: Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on New Mexico State University’s newest building, Pete V. Domenici Hall, and a grand opening reception is slated for next month.

The reception will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the building, which is located at 3014 McFie Circle, in the center of campus. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., and the program will begin at 5:15 p.m. The grand opening festivities are part of the 2014 Domenici Public Policy Conference, set for Sept. 17 and 18 at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

Crews broke ground on the project in April 2013, repurposing and expanding the university’s Hershel Zohn Theatre to become the 40,000-square-foot Pete V. Domenici Hall. The Hershel Zohn building was originally home to NMSU’s theater arts program, which moved to the university’s new Center for the Arts building at the corner of University Avenue and Espina Street in December 2012.

Pete V. Domenici Hall will have one of the few large auditoriums on campus, funded through a significant contribution from the PY Foundation, led by Peyton Yates of Artesia, in honor of his parents. Yates served as an Executive in Residence in NMSU’s College of Business and received an honorary doctorate from NMSU in 2010. The S.P. and Estelle Yates Theater will seat about 240 people, and feature equipment and connectivity to allow for seamless integration of learning technology in the classroom.