REBECCA HALE
Reverb Co-Editor
The “RAC Project,” designed by architect Deberah Berke, began in the summer of 2014 and was set to be complete in the Spring of 2016. Unfortunately, due to delays and unexpected complications, the project is still incomplete, and much of the Rockefeller Arts Center (RAC) remains inaccessible to the public. This has been problematic for students, faculty and the Department of Theatre and Dance.
For Anna Chicco, a senior BFA musical theatre major, the renovations have impacted her rehearsals more than they have her classes.
“While classes are held as they always are, the renovations restricted student access to our usual rehearsal spots, making extracurricular [activities] … and class-related activities (for directors, stage combatants and the like) more difficult to practice for,” she wrote via email. “It also separated RAC from Dods Hall and from our teachers — all of our professors now reside in Houghton Hall which is very different from having them at our fingertips like they were before.”
Chicco and her classmates, despite the difficulties and obstacles, are keeping a positive attitude for the next generation of students who will benefit from the project.
“This new work space is gonna open up a ton of opportunities to the students already here and will be a huge draw for prospective students,” she said. “Yes, it is unbelievably disappointing [for seniors], but I am happy that the department will grow and thrive in their new bigger home.”
Since the project was set to be complete as of now, this year’s performances of the Fredonia Dance Ensemble (FDE) were scheduled to be held over two weekends in April in the brand-new James and Marcia Merrins Dance Theatre. Since delays pushed back the completion, FDE spanned only one weekend and was held in Bartlett Theatre.
Currently, the second and third floors are inaccessible as well all of the addition. A larger area will be closed off in the summer, including the scene shop and loading dock.
The entire RAC Project was actually delayed a full year due to budgetary reasons, and beyond that initial delay, more have emerged along the way. Steve Rees, a faculty member who is heavily involved in the project, disclosed some details about the construction’s delays as well as insight into the bigger picture.
“At the very beginning of the project, there were many ‘unknowns’ relative even to setting the pylons on which the foundation sits,” Rees said. “There were unknown conditions that hadn’t been picked up during the preliminary engineering of the site. That took some time to fix. That was then compounded by some hellacious weather in the fall.”
Rees noted inclement weather and water issues to be the primary reason for delays. Water from snow was a large problem, which had to be constantly flushed out of the construction zone. It was also too cold on many occasions for the construction team, Campus Construction Management, to be able to pour concrete.
Rees explained that there are three different projects going on at once in RAC, all being done by the same construction team. The addition is restricted to the brand new parts of the building. Apart from that, there are the renovations on the first and second floor, and also the third floor renovations, which is another separate project.
To give an idea of what exactly is going on, Rees explained some of the changes.
The first and second floor work will include transforming the current print and ceramics studios into computer labs, and transforming the sculpture studios, welding and wood shops into media arts labs.
The work on the third floor includes mostly asbestos abatement in classrooms and the installation of an air conditioning system. Abatement is being done throughout the entire construction zone as well as air conditioning installation.
The new classrooms and converted old classrooms should all be functional for classes to held in the Fall, and this summer, the completion of the interiors of the second and third floors will be underway.
“We’re told by the SUNY construction folk that we should have everything in order to do those classes that are going to happen in the addition for August,” Rees said. The college is currently planning a grand opening of the renovations and addition for October.
Still, Rees noted that good progress is being made daily on the projects.
“Every day you go over there, you see more progress,” he said. “You see something new, which is fascinating.”
*Pick up next week’s issue to read Part II