In less than a year, some members of the Western community will be able to become part of campus forever.

Construction is underway for a columbarium that will house cremated ashes and an interfaith chapel.

The Chandler Memorial Chapel and Columbarium project is expected to be completed by next summer and will be near the Craig Alumni Center and Schneider Hall, said Bryan Russell, director of Planning, Design and Construction.

Fundraising is nearly complete for the project, which is being paid for entirely by private donations, said John Paul Blair, assistant vice president for Institutional Advancement.

“Essentially, we’re standing at the finish line,” he said.

Fundraising for the projects comes from two separate sources.

Western has raised $1.9 million for the chapel, leaving $100,000 left to secure for the $2 million project, Blair said.

Officials have a verbal commitment for the last $100,000, but they’re waiting for the paperwork to make it official, Blair said.

The project’s cost is more than the original budget of $1.6 million, so Western had to raise more money, he said.

President Gary Ransdell said the extra cost made it necessary to scale back some of the interior features, such as changing the floor from slate to stone.

“It’s still a really neat project,” Ransdell said.

Blair said that to pay for the columbarium, Western is selling niches, which will each hold two urns, for $2,500 each.

So far, 18 people have bought niches, Blair said.

Two more need to be sold to pay for the project, he said. That shouldn’t be a problem because there are several people interested in buying one.

The columbarium will hold 280 niches, or 560 urns, total.

Ransdell said more people will want to sign up for niches once the columbarium is built.

Blair said he’s excited for the new facilities to open.

“It will add another dimension to the campus,” he said.