Some chairs still are wrapped in plastic. PVC pipe replaces permanent handrails on stairways. The floor is covered in sawdust, and the front entrance isn’t complete.

But Eaton Hall — Kansas University’s new engineering building — will be open for business today, the first day of classes for the fall semester.

“It’d be nice if we were three or four days down the road, but I think we’ll be OK for the start of school,” said Stuart Bell, dean of the engineering school.

Crews still were working long hours Wednesday to finish classroom spaces in the $15 million, 80,000-square-foot building.

The building, named for Bob Eaton, the KU alumnus and former chairman of Chrysler Corp. who donated $5 million to the project, was supposed to be completed in June. But officials said Ferrell Construction had difficulty finding subcontractors to complete drywall work, which pushed the completion date back.

Many of the rooms are labs to be used by the electrical engineering and computer science department. Most of those labs don’t meet until next week, which will buy crews a few more days to complete the work by the time the labs are needed.

A 230-seat classroom will be the last portion of the project to be done. It won’t be finished until late September, and Bell said no classes were scheduled there for the fall semester.

Eaton Hall, although not totally complete, will be open for classes today at Kansas University. Ferrell Construction had difficulty finding subcontractors to finish drywall work on the new engineering building, which pushed back the completion date.

Faculty members moved into their offices last week. Arvin Agah, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, said he was pleased with his office, and especially pleased that all faculty members in his department were in the same building. Previously, they had offices in Learned Hall and Snow Hall.

“It’s nice and new. I like it,” Agah said. “We were split between Snow and Learned, and now the faculty are together. I get to see them more often.”

Ian Bradt, a junior from Johnston, Iowa, is among the students excited about the new facility. The electrical engineering and computer science major said he was planning to spend long hours in the building’s labs this year.

“It looks awesome,” he said. “We’ll have a lot more space for labs. It’ll be easier to work.”

He said he wished the building were completed, especially to make a good impression for incoming students.

“It’s kind of annoying,” he said. “It would be nice if it was completed. But there’s not much we can do about that.”