Update on Brodbeck Reconstruction

By Amanda Smith and Zoe Finholm//

Repairs to Brodbeck Music Hall, which was struck by lightning in 2021, continue and the college still hopes to reopen it in fall of 2024.

According to Robert Klinedinst, the vice president for Finance, the college needs to finish construction documents and begin the bidding process for the project.

“We might start construction this summer or it might be early fall,” Klinedinst said. “We also have to really finalize how much the insurance will cover and how much we need to fundraise for, but the project is moving forward.”

Klinedinst said the total cost of a project is hard to calculate because it consists of many different factors.

“There is the construction cost that you pay a contractor to do the renovations,” Klinedinst said. “But there’s other project-related costs: architecture and engineering fees, furniture, IT, communications, all kinds of other construction-related fees.”

A large majority of the reconstruction cost will be covered by the college’s property insurance. The architects working on the project are conscious of the building’s history and are trying to restore it to its original state, Klindinst said.

“We’ve just finished the design development phase, we’ve gotten some pricing from the contractors for the construction cost, it’s in the $5-to-6-million range,” Klinedinst said. However, Klinedinst stated that the total will be even greater due to additional architectural and abatement costs.

After the building was struck by lightning, the music classes and rehearsals were moved to the Coffman Chapel. “Working in the Chapel continues to be a challenge, especially as student interest in music lessons and ensembles is still on the rise,” said Noel Verzosa, chair of the music department. “We’ve done a better job of coordinating our activities with those of other departments, partly because lots of people have been making various sacrifices and concessions.”

It has taken a lot of flexibility to ensure that the music ensembles have a place to rehearse, he said. The yoga group has adjusted their schedule, the Rev. Beth O’Malley has made the meditation room available for rehearsals, and Verzosa has given up his office on Thursdays and Fridays so it can be used for lessons.

Verzosa said it is “unfortunate” regarding the timing of the reopening of Brodbeck and the closing of the music major. “The new building will make our musical activities that much more attractive,” Verzosa said.

Verzosa said the most recent blueprints include more individual practice rooms to make up for the ones lost by the pending demolition of Carson Cottage, instrument storage spaces, and the auditorium, which is the only space on campus designated for musical performance.

“The reopening of Brodbeck will also mean the return of our pianos, most of which have been collecting dust in a storage facility for the past year and a half,” Verzosa said. “This is just not enough to accommodate our piano students, our voice students, the jazz ensemble and all our music theory students.”

Verzosa said, “I think everyone in the Chapel, both within and outside the Music Department, is eager to see music return to Brodbeck.”