The construction of Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts (SOTA) building has been an ongoing project for the past couple of semesters, as the construction started back in July of 2023 and still is not complete. Progress is being made, however.
The project has affected many students, faculty and staff, giving mixed emotions among them. The community says they have to deal with the noise, the lack of space and the difficulties of being spread across campus. Students remain hopeful since they know what’s coming is going to be great for SOTA and many students across the area.
What’s happening
On Nov. 1, the first floor of SOTA opened for the preparation of Corbett Theatre’s first show since construction: “Anything Goes.”
The play’s first performance will be on November 15. The rest of the first floor is expected to be completed on Jan. 1, 2025 for the floor heaving.
In the summer of 2025, HVAC work will be underway on the second floor and Greaves Concert Hall, according to Liz Birkenhauer, the associate director of Planning, Design and Construction.
The second-floor construction process hasn’t been easy, according to the theater and dance program head Michael Hatton, as it involves removing all the ceilings, replacing all the possible water lines, taking out the ductwork, reworking the ducts then putting in all new ceilings and new ceiling lights.
According to Ron Shaw, associate director of SOTA, the final handoff will be in August of 2025.
The effects of the construction
With construction spanning over multiple semesters, it has significantly affected students and staff.
Michael Lankford, a senior at NKU, is always in the SOTA building painting, drawing, editing photos and more.
“I’m in and around the SOTA building seven days a week, over the last couple years it’s been upwards of like 80 to 90 hours a week I am in the building,” Lankford said.
The construction has affected Lankford in many ways, especially regarding how he has been moved around multiple times, across different buildings on campus.
“Painting was in the mathematics building, drawing was partially online and in the science building, they moved printmaking to multiple different areas from Nunn Hall to Griffin Hall. Where normally we would have SOTA as our home base, we were scattered everywhere,” Lankford said.
Lankford had to learn how to paint with different materials because the building they were moved to did not have the proper ventilation and tools to be able to use certain paint materials. Some moves were not as bad for Lankford, such as moving into Griffin Hall for digital art, but everywhere they moved, the rooms couldn’t be used the way they traditionally were in SOTA.
“The construction is at all hours of the day. I could be in the building at four in the morning and I suddenly hear jackhammering. I’m there at ten at night and you still hear it,” said Lankford. “They’re seemingly always working on something, which is great in theory.”
Even with all of this, Lankford has maintained a positive outlook on moving all across campus. He said it feels like it “gets him ready to not be in the space after college.” He knows how to move his art practices more towards home and figured out how to run his own space outside of the SOTA building. He was also able to find more outside work because he’s not just using the SOTA building.
Even though Lankford is graduating in December 2024, he is excited for the building to be finished for other students.
“While it wasn’t convenient for me, it did help improve some of my personal skills and accountability,” said Lankford. “Maybe other students will find the same as the building reopens.”
Hatton has commended students on their patience with the construction of SOTA.
“They’ve been very resilient. They’ve been very patient,” Hatton said.
He knows it’s been hard to deal with all the noise and classes being moved around campus.
“They know that good things are coming from it. They’re very excited, and I think it’s going to make them feel valued as a student,” Hatton said.
The excitement behind the construction
Shaw has seen the energy shift on campus since construction started. He noticed that they are finally putting significant amounts of money into making the building better for everyone.
“When they showed us the rendering of what the first floor is going to look like, that’s exciting. It’s been a gambit of emotion out of this space,” Shaw said. “When the last jackhammer was done, removing five feet of earth on the first floor, I was excited. When the last cement truck finished pouring the floor on the first floor, I was excited. I get very excited by each of the milestones they are hitting.”
Shaw said he likes seeing construction projects come to life on campus, and as the campus gets new buildings, he believes it reinvigorates the university and the student body. With the construction of the theater’s spaces, Shaw thinks it will become something students will be more interested in.
Hatton, like Shaw, is very excited about the construction almost being finished.
“It’s been a dusty and noisy process, but as we like to say that, you know, the sound of jackhammering is the sound of support,” Hatton said.
Hatton is grateful that the university and the state of Kentucky can allocate funding for the construction. He and many others believe the students are worth it and the work they put in deserves a renovated space.
“We’re really glad to upgrade this space to make their work shine even better,” said Hatton.
What is next for campus
The next big project for campus is the expansion of the Herrmann Science Center, which broke ground on Oct. 31.
According to Mary Paula Schuh, the senior director of Planning, Design and Construction at NKU, there will be an upcoming project to completely renovate Landrum Academic Center, but she did not have any more details on the project.
The last project Schuh mentioned was funding from the state to renovate the former Highland Heights Civic Center, which is located on Johns Hill Road. It will be renovated to create a Northern Kentucky medical examiner’s office.