CapFed Best News: Washburn moving forward with $6.4M recital hall project

Students from the Music Department of Washburn University will have additional rehearsals in the next few years, after the Washburn Regency Board approved a plan on Thursday to build a new $6.4 million concert hall near the White Hall. .

Officials said the 9,000-square-foot concert hall, located on 17th Street on North Avenue in the White Concert Hall, will provide students, faculty, and community members with another space for smaller individual performances.

"When you have students who perform and do things, the space is different," JuliAnn Mazachek, vice president of academic affairs, told the Regent. "And the type of space they want to practice, the type of space they want to perform-this affects their experience and the experience of fans or audiences."

Craig Treinen, the head of the music department, said that teachers, students and community members are very happy to soon provide a separate space for smaller recitals and community performances. He said that when there are only a dozen people in the audience, performing in an auditorium with 1,200 seats can be daunting.

Treinen said that the complex will provide better live performance and recording capabilities, and the department is researching and developing an artist series to attract musicians from all over the world to perform.

He said: "This type of setting can really benefit the university and the community." "I think it will be a good recruitment tool for our department because we will be able to interact with students as well as our directors and young music Home, do more private things in clinics and seminars."

Since the project was originally conceived, the project has been developed several times since 2008. The last time the Regent considered the project was in September 2014, when they worked with Schwerdt Design Group as the project architect to allow university officials to set budgets and design concepts.

The 9,000 square foot facility can accommodate 180 people. The cost of the project will be divided into a personal gift of $5 million and a university reserve of $1.4 million. University officials have not announced the planned start date for construction.

Among other businesses, Regents accepted Torgeson Electric’s $154,000 bid to install stadium lights on the softball field and approved the university’s request to name the Gahnstrom Field sport in memory of Bill and Emilie Gahnstrom, who donated $420,000 for improvements. The complex for the past three years.

Regent also approved a requirement to use Christmas Eve as a paid holiday for university staff, like other Kansas State universities.

Officials provided Regent with the university’s fiscal year 2020 audit report, which ended in June. An external audit found that the university has a good reputation and has adopted good financial practices in the past few years, helping the university overcome most of the initial financial impact of COVID-19.

By 2020, university income has fallen by US$2.6 million, or 2%, to US$118.4 million. The decrease in tuition and fees was partially offset by increases in federal grants and state and local grants.

The decrease in revenue was also offset by a $2.9 million (3%) reduction in spending in fiscal 2020 to $114.7 million. Officials attribute the decline in spending to unprovided services and reduced travel and student activities due to COVID-19.