University of Virginia Library

Money Problems

Drama Building Faces Obstacles

Photo By Roy Alson

The Above Site Is Reserved For The Additions To The Fine Arts Center

Only The Rerouting Of Carr's Hill Road Is Now Scheduled For Completion

By Barry Levine
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Although the completion of the
Architecture Building marks the first
phase of the new Fine Arts Center, the
rest of the complex will have to wait for
awhile.

The drama of the proposed Drama
Building is a slowly unfolding series of
delays and cutbacks. According to David
Weiss, chairman of the Department of
Speech and Drama, working drawings for
the building were completed last spring,
but the tentative schedule was upset
when authorities in Richmond decided
that too much time had elapsed between
the appropriation of funds and the
drawings, and that building costs had
risen as much as 30 per cent in some
areas.

This change in prices had brought the
new estimate to about $1 million over the
money allocated for the construction,
which was $1,970,000.

Inflated Costs

The University, according to Mr. Weiss, then
brought in a consultant firm, who confirmed
the inflated costs of the building over the
original estimate.

The plan was restudied by the architect firm
of Rawlings and Wilson from Richmond, the
associate architects of the Fine Arts Complex,
who are drawing up revised plans to reduce the
costs.

New Bids

Rawlings and Wilson came out with the
schematics last week, and the bids for the new
building, according to Mr. Weiss, hopefully will
go out this summer. The completion date is not
yet scheduled.

The building design has been turned 90
degrees on its site, and 90 per cent of the old
drawings were redone, although the 600-seat
theater and the smaller, experimental theater
have been kept in the plans.

The bulk of the money for the new building
came from a gift from the Culbreth family,
primarily for the purpose of building a theater
center. The University expected additional
funds from the federal government several years
ago, but the request was denied, and additional
sources are being investigated.

Site Leveled

Thus far, the only construction that has
been started has been the road leading up to the
site, and the leveling of the site area.

The new Fine Arts Center when completed
will include, besides the Architecture Building
and the Drama Building, a section for the Music
and Art Departments, and the new theater is
expected to rank as one of the best in the state.