The University held a ceremony on Friday to celebrate the start of construction on the Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts.
The center will be located on the former Bryce Hospital property. It will eventually replace the Marian Gallaway Theatre, Bryant-Jordan Hall and the Dance Theatre as the primary location for student performances, according to a UA press release.
Joseph Messina, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the theater and dance department has wanted to create world-class facilities for its programs for a long time.
“We’re building one of the best facilities in the country,” Messina said.
The new building will feature multiple theatres, each with hundreds of seats, in addition to a dance venue that will seat 450. Students can also expect orchestral pits and larger off-stage spaces.
In 2022, Clay and Cameron Smith, both UA graduates, donated $20 million toward the project in memory of Mark Smith, Clay Smith’s father and the founder of telecommunications company Adtran.
“He always instilled the arts into our family,” Clay Smith said.
UA President Stuart Bell also acknowledged the support of the Smith family, thanking them and everyone else who has supported the project.
“The Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts will help set a new standard of excellence for both students and faculty,” Bell said.
