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Completion of construction of the Center for the Arts building has been delayed at least three months from its anticipated December date, officials said.

According to Jack Schulman, Director of Measure “P” Projects—who is overseeing the $28.2 million project—the general contractor Edge Development, Inc. has gone out of business. Before the company went under, Edge experienced internal problems with scheduling and financial obligations, all of which have greatly impacted the progress of this project, Schulman said via email.

Schulman is negotiating about a new construction company, BNBuilders.

Unforeseen circumstances with the building construction site also contributed to the delay. Many utilities were not shown in construction drawings, all of which required time to address and remediate, according to Schulman.

Despite these setbacks, Performing and Communication Arts Division Dean James Arnwine, whose division will relocate into the structure when it is complete, said that things slowed down, but never completely stopped.

“At this point, the completion date is tentatively set for March 3,” Schulman said.

Despite delayed progress, both Arnwine and Visual Arts and Media Studies Interim Dean Joseph Futtner continue to be very excited and are really looking forward to occupying the new building.

During a tour in mid-July, Arnwine and other music faculty members were given the opportunity to walk through the building.

“You already get a feeling of how the building feels. It is going to be very nice—it flows nicely…. I am very pleased with it, and it just feels like a very comfortable and inviting building,” Arnwine said.

 

“It’s going to be really, really cool,” Futtner said.

However, Futtner also explained that there are multiple implications of obstacles even after completion. The two divisions relocating into the new structure—Performing and Communication Arts, and Visual Arts and Media Studies—will require carefully scheduled time to move from their respective buildings.

“[The classrooms must be] set up in terms of the layout, furnishings, technologies, and equipment that will allow it to be actually used,” Futtner said.

According to Schulman, preparations to move the Performing and Communication Arts and Visual Arts and Media Studies divisions will not happen until the completion date draws closer.

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