One thing I have realized since my Inquiry Oral Communications group project on a potential music hall, is that these things take time. Way more time than students realize. Even if Concordia makes constructing a performance hall a priority today, I do not believe even this year’s freshmen will see its completion before they graduate.
There are many different factors to address with such a project, but as a geographer, issues regarding space are what I tend to think of first, and land is a huge issue for any new building or other campus expansion. With the college located in the center of a heavily residential area, acquiring adjacent land is a slow process, though something the college does pursue. The college already has a parking issue, so turning a parking lot into an academic space is, I believe, out of the question, so the only options are slowly acquiring adjacent properties or building on campus land, primarily the East block. I am aware that the college owns a number of properties between fifth and sixth St., south of 12th Ave. If that is not already set aside for more parking, I think that would be the best location for a future concert hall. Another idea could involve a heavy renovation or expansion project for Hvidsten, using its parking lot and transforming the music building into a performance hall with classrooms and rehearsal spaces.
All that being said, the most important thing to remember is that this is not a short-term project, but a long-term vision. Thinking about it now is important, but I believe expecting a performance hall by, say, 2017 is unrealistic.
This letter was submitted by Spencer McCombs, class of 2013. Contact him at smccombs@cord.edu.
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