“Beep, Beep, Beep. Beep, Beep, Beep.”

Those are the loud, continual, annoying sounds of the new Memorial Stadium fire alarm. Those three persistent beeps, over and over again, resonating in the heads of each member of local print and broadcast media touring the new west side of the stadium. One can’t imagine the toll that noise takes on the construction workers putting in countless 16-hour days as the project nears its end and unveiling on Saturday. Those three repeated beeps were one of only two consistencies in the renovated parts of Memorial Stadium.

The other was the determination and reassurance from project manager Warren Hood that the construction would be completed by kickoff, when the Illini face off against Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Hood has surely been asked the question hundreds of times, and Tuesday’s media tour was no different. Hood obliged with the same answer.

“If you had seen this place a week ago you would have said ‘no way,'” Hood said. “If you’d seen it two weeks ago you’d have said ‘no way.’ So every week, every day, (the project end date) changes.”

Saturday’s Illinois Renaissance Celebration, featuring the new stadium, returning Illini legends and throwback uniforms along with the game against the Panthers, is largely due to Hood’s work. The ceremonies on Saturday are a culmination of sorts for him. He took on the project four years ago in July 2004, traveling around the country to gather material for the planning stages, or as he calls it, “stealing everyone else’s best ideas.”

With those ideas in hand for club spaces and luxury suites, Hood met with the architectural team for the project. He meshed a concept with other collegiate stadiums’ plans to give Memorial Stadium a new look. A wrinkle to work around was keeping the stadium’s staples in tact, including the columns on both the east and west sides, which are dedicated to Illinoisans’ who were killed during World War I and II, the Second Nicaraguan Campaign, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Lebanon and Desert Storm.

The meshing of those conceptual ideas with architectural insight is something Illini fans should enjoy for generations. Most have already seen the new north end zone student section – the first part of the project that housed Block I and student season ticket holders during the 2007-08 season. But Hood thinks many who bleed Orange and Blue will be blown away when they see the full product.

“I think (football fans are) going to be really impressed,” Hood said. “Everybody that we’ve taken in (to tour) so far, even with the construction noise in the back, have been really impressed.”

The fresh additions left most of the local media with smiles and eagerness on their faces Tuesday, so Hood’s assumption doesn’t seem like it could be too far off. The players are already fond of the new look.

“You look back at some of the old film from a couple years ago and (Memorial Stadium) was not looking hot back in the day,” junior offensive lineman Jon Asamoah said. “I’m proud of this place now, and hopefully it will be intimidating for the opponents.”

The new west side of the stadium alters the look of the previous standard substantially, with brick, glass and club seating rupturing the previous norm of just brick, concrete and steel.

From field view, the first thing that comes into sight is the main west stands, which are very similar to their east side counterpart, but include a renovated great hall with new concession stands, restrooms and art to commemorate the Illini past.

Following that up the ladder is the Colonnades Club, a spacious lounge area with enhanced food and drink possibilities that also includes reserved outdoor seating under the overhang of the west balcony.

The west balcony, much like the main stands, retains most of the qualities it had before, but the amenities have been upgraded and there is a large mural recognizing Illinois football tradition. The seating capacity was also reduced to incorporate the need for the luxury suites and club seating.

The 77 Club follows – commemorating Harold “Red” Grange’s retired number – and is similar to the Colonnades Club, but the seating is sheltered behind a glass window.

The next step up on the totem pole is a luxury suite. There are 42 total, and the University has leased all but three suites on five, seven and ten-year lease plans at more than $45,000 per year. Each suite includes twelve seats and six bar stools to accommodate fans, along with priority parking, in-suite food and drink, closed-circuit and cable television and operable windows for a customized gameday experience.

Finally, the new structure also includes radio and television booths, boxes for coaches from each team, a press box and a command center for local police.

And with all these new amenities came a few headaches for Hood, along with some explanations to fans about what each level brings. But, according to him, the greatest asset of the new structure isn’t so much in the new products and fans it will bring to Champaign – it is the gameday experience and the view fans will have from any seat on the west side.

“Everybody says ‘the sight lines are incredible,'” Hood. “You’re so close to the field, there’s not a bad sight line anywhere.”

This is due in large part to the proximity of the new structure to the playing surface. It is the closest in the Big Ten, and one of the closest in the country, providing every seat on the west side with a much better view of the field than in previous seasons.

The west side isn’t even the entire project, though. During the summer, crews replaced the old AstroPlay surface with new FieldTurf, which is thought to be the best artificial surface on the market.

The other major change is the new football performance center, which is located underneath the north end zone stands and includes offices, a recruiting lounge and a new player’s lounge.

But the part that players and coaches are raving about is the 16,000 square foot weight room, the largest in the country.

“Some of the things are the best in the world, as far as equipment standards,” said strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez. “And (the weight room) also will have the capability of bringing in a larger amount of guys at one time if necessary.”

The weight room should be fully operational by November and has Illini players wide-eyed and a little bit apprehensive.

“Lifting weights is all we do,” Asamoah said. “Lifting weights is such a big part, it’s been the greatest part of my development … (the weight room is) going to be a torture dome but it’s going to be worth it.”

So now that the project has almost reached its moment of truth, its overseer is anxious for Saturday.

“This is very exciting to be at this moment,” Hood said. “It’s a long road, we’re almost done, so I’m excited. People ask me if I’m nervous, I’m not nervous, I know what the schedule is … and we’re right on schedule to be done by Saturday.”

So when Illini fans watch their team on upcoming weekends in a new-look stadium, few will be concerned about the testing of the fire alarm or the hard work of Hood.

But he’s OK with that. He’s just “waiting for his vacation to start,” and come game time on Saturday, he might just be “counting the steps,” getting ready in case the fire alarm starts its beeping again.