The Stanford Student Store opened the doors to its new home in Tresidder Union today. Preparations for the store’s launch have been in the works since summer of 2010 and will culminate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon.

According to project manager Kelly Rohlfs, the total cost of the new Student Store was $297,000.

“Design began in June 2010, and construction started October 2010,” Rohlfs wrote in an e-mail to The Daily. “We had expected to complete construction in early January but ran into problems that were a result of previous renovations.”

Raj Bhandari M.S. ’10, CEO of Stanford Student Enterprises (SSE), which oversees the Student Store, said the project was held back due to construction requirements and the need for permit approval.

“Looking at the project, we ended up a little bit late but still fairly within the scope of what we imagined it to be,” he said.

The delay, in fact, may prove to be a business-savvy plan.

“We made a strategic decision to open up [during] Parents’ Weekend,” Bhandari said.

He hopes to see “parents come join their students exploring the new store for the first time.”

Walking into the new Student Store, customers will notice several prominent features. One such feature is the introduction of pivoting display doors, which were custom-designed to showcase merchandise and to keep the store secure during closing hours.

According to Bhandari, the Student Store also features “a monitor display demonstrating life here at Stanford.”

“We designed the store so it could be a retail incubator,” said Peter Claassen, project manager at Hillhouse Construction Company, Inc.

Project planners designed the store to give its managers “the opportunity to do different merchandising,” Claassen said.

While classic Stanford apparel will remain on the shelves, the Student Store is diversifying its merchandise.

“We’re definitely expanding; we have a lot of new stuff,” said store manager Olivia Witter ’13. “We have men’s and women’s items that are little trendier, a little bit more vintage, a little bit more fashionable than just our classic sweatshirts.”

Student input played an important role in this respect and in others.

“Working with the architect, the students made all the decisions regarding the layout of the store, display cabinets and walls, colors and lighting,” Rohlfs said. “They even suggested adding the new door to the back patio which was a great idea.

“They also made decisions on how to spend their money, for example, using carpet in the store rather than adding funds to the project.”

Nevertheless, planning for the store came with several complications.

Rohlfs noted that dealing with the original terrazzo floor was the biggest challenge of the construction process.

“After removing the old carpet in the lounge area, we discovered the floor needed a lot of costly repairs that exceeded the project budget,” Rohlfs said. “We struck a balance by repairing and refinishing the terrazzo in the halls and placing carpet in the store.”

“It’s been a process, definitely, but it’s rewarding to see the store now,” Witter said.

ASSU and SSE celebrated the store’s completion in a launch party last night.

“I don’t think that many people understand that the Student Store is completely, 100 percent student-run and that all of the proceeds go back to student groups,” Witter said. “It’s a non-profit organization; I think that’s just something special about it that sets it apart from the Bookstore.”

“I think the new location will help people recognize us more on campus,” she added.

Bhandari expressed similar optimism about the new store, which will resume regular business hours starting Monday. The store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“Our goal is to be the showroom of Stanford,” he said.