Performance space under construction

When the new Burchfield Penney Art Center opened, it left much of the third floor of Rockwell Hall vacant. New construction and upgrades have transformed the third floor into a state-of-the-art, multi-use music and art space with refurnished general-purpose classroom space.

The construction stems from a grant obtained by the art conservation department to upgrade its equipment. When the grant was obtained, the college looked at funding from the capital improvement plan to augment what the art conservation department had received, said Steven Shaffer, manager of design and construction. Around the same time, the music department had asked for an upgrade to its facilities.

"Since they're both in the same building, and both wanted to stay in Rockwell Hall, it was just a perfect opportunity for us to help both of those programs by converting the old Burchfield Penney space," he said.

The general-purpose classrooms were built immediately after the Burchfield Penney moved, but were done economically, Shaffer said. The construction offered an opportunity to update them as well.

Once funding was obtained, the process of selecting an architectural firm started. A local firm, Architectural Resources, was chosen, Shaffer said, and the plan began to take shape.

It took close to a year to develop a design and finalize plans for the building, said Brian Wittmer, project manager.

Some of the upgrades that the art conservation department will receive include a photo studio, a library, a reading room, and storage areas for artwork. The music department will be getting a new recital hall, green room and studio. The classrooms will receive an update in technology, Wittmer said.

With the bell tower sitting directly above the recital hall, figuring out how to complete the construction without damaging it became a key component of the plans.

One of the support columns for the tower had to be moved because it obstructed the view of the stage in the recital hall, Wittmer said, leading to the building of two new columns to support the tower.

"Right now we're in the process of putting in the foundations and the footings to support the two new columns, so we can eliminate the existing one," he said.

Rockwell Hall is a historic structure, and New York State became involved in the project to ensure the integrity of the building was being preserved, Shaffer said.

"Even though it's primarily an interior project, they wanted to make sure we didn't kind of hurt the historic character of the building, both interior and exterior," he said. "We sought and received their approval."

Construction started in May 2011 with an end date of August 2012, Wittmer said.

While some students were frustrated with the construction, most seemed anxious to see the new facilities that the construction will bring about, including Jen VanDuzer, sophomore music major.

"I'm really excited about it," she said. "We're upgrading the music department, and it's really exciting."

Michael Canfield can be reached by email at canfield.record@live.com.