St. Paul College Plans Expansion of Arts Center

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Private liberal arts university Macalester College approved a $40 million plan to renovate and expand its Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center. Earlier this week, Macalester’s board of trustees signed off on the project, which is expected to begin in January of next year and wrap up in July 2012.

 

Funded largely by private donations, the expansion will build new art history classes, an art gallery, commons areas, faculty offices, and new ensemble rehearsal rooms onto the fine arts center. Additionally, the project will renovate an existing concert hall and upgrade the systems of the 45-year-old building. Macalester intends to raise another $7.5 million in private contributions, bringing its total donations up to $24 million, with the remainder bonded by the college.

 

“We’re actually farther along in fundraising than usual with such projects,” says Kathleen Murray, the college’s provost and dean of faculty. “Normally we start building with about half pledged, but this time we have about half — $12 million — cash in hand.

 

HGA Architects and Engineers of Minneapolis will serve as designer on the project, and construction services company McGough of Roseville, Minn., is the general contractor. The renovation represents the first phase of a larger $70 million project to repair and replace outdated sections of the arts center. No timetable has been set for the second phase.