In the plot next to Graves Hall, there has been ongoing construction for the new music building, Falls Hall, and the restoration of the interior of the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archeology. Renovations to the Peabody include adding an elevator.
Graves’ larger parking lot has been closed, affecting student drivers and access to the buildings. Mark Leonard, Director of Campus Safety, shared updates on the construction and the affected areas of campus.
“With the Graves parking lot being unavailable during construction of the music building, we have directed students to park in the Rabbit Pond circle gravel head-in spaces, or to use the gravel parking lot across from the Pan Athletic Center on Fieldhouse Road. Although these areas may be a bit farther from the main campus area, they allow for sufficient parking for students and others,” said Leonard.
Leonard continued, further elaborating on the projected timeline for the construction and renovation of the two buildings.
“The Peabody is off line for several months during construction. The Graves parking lot will be unavailable until September due to the construction of the new music building… I believe the Peabody construction is expected to last until this Fall, and the new music building will not be complete until sometime mid to late 2024. Once the site excavation and preparation is complete for the music building, the steel framing will begin to go up, and the building will start to take shape,” said Leonard.
Abbey Siegfried, Chair of the Music Department, detailed her own involvement in the building planning process. She is involved in meetings surrounding building development and the future use of Falls Hall.
“I actually have had weekly meetings with the project manager…to talk about every level of detail from the locks on the doors, which doors have card access… Earlier this week I had a furniture meeting where we were looking at preliminary ideas for what kind of desks will be in the classrooms, and what kind of chairs will be in the court for people to hang out on. I have a meeting next week about audio, and that will be all of the audio technology in the classrooms, and all of the recording technology and live streaming technology,” said Siegfried.
Siegfried also received similar preliminary deadlines surrounding the construction and expressed her own excitement for the project. According to Siegfried, Falls Hall will include new technology for the music department to utilize.
“I think you can start to see a foundation emerging… What I am most excited for in the building is for us to have space that is reflective of not only the size of the music program that we have here but also of the modern day, and an actual modern day recording studio, and classroom in which we can teach music production, and performance spaces were we can easily live stream both audio and video of our performances and concerts,” said Siegfried.
