The Wayne State College Peterson Fine Arts building will be getting a brand new renovation in the next two years.
The addition and renovations to Peterson Fine Arts building will give choir and band students brand-new places to practice. This includes top-tier band and choir rooms to hold rehearsals and hearing-safe individual practice rooms.
The Peterson Fine Arts building was built in 1963. Ramsey Theatre was added in 2001. Upgrades and renovations to the Peterson Fine Arts building will ensure that all spaces follow current industry standards for both acoustics and accessibility.
Improved accessibility is one of the focuses of the renovations, which will include the addition of a central elevator and a ramp to the Ramset Stage.
A family restroom will also be added, as well as additional accessible seating to accommodate all audience members. Renovations to Ramsey Theatre will allow for larger productions.
Upgrades to the Peterson Fine Arts building will provide new spaces for students to work and study in, along with safe practice spaces for choir and band.
Student Hannah Urban is most excited for all of the natural light additions in the new renovation. The band and choir rooms will have many windows which will allow ample amount of natural light.
Urban is also excited for the new practice rooms. She notes that they “will help rather than harm the hearing of each student.”
The new practice rooms will be a great resource for students to use throughout the school year.
Student Kiernan Baker is excited for the renovations so current and future Fine Arts students will “have an updated building that will help them grow even more as musicians and provide opportunities for them to learn that weren’t previously offered.”
Dr. David Bohnert is the Chair of the Department of Music and Director of Bands at Wayne State. He knows that having great facilities for students and staff to utilize is an unmatched advantage.
“Not only do they keep participants safe by conforming to national standards for hearing health, but they also play a significant role in recruiting and retaining quality students and elevating the performance level of our student musicians,” said Bohnert.
The addition and renovations to the Fine Arts Building and Ramsey Theatre are scheduled to begin at the start of the Fall 2021 semester and take approximately two years to finish.