McNeese State University will receive $26,352,723.47 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Hurricane Laura relief.

The money is designated for the replacement of the Farrar Hall building.

President Daryl Burckel previously told the American Press that construction on a new Student Union will begin in the spring of 2024. The Student Union will be built on the soon-to-be-demolished site of Farrar Hall and the Memorial Gym and will include a cafeteria for student dining, ballroom space and student government offices. The project is expected to take 18-24 months to complete.

While the process of waiting on insurance money and reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “a little painful in the time that it has taken, it allowed us to reimagine what campus could be like,” Burckel said.

FEMA is also granting $1,439,716.83 for damages to the Louisiana State University Health Science Center as a result of Hurricane Zeta.