Plans to build a UC Davis Center for the Arts are progressing at a lively tempo this spring as groundbreaking for the structure draws nearer. In mid-May work crews will begin initial ground preparations at the new center's site. The $53.5 million performing arts hall will be located on the campus's southern perimeter, adjacent to Interstate 80. Construction of the facility is expected to be completed by 2002. The public is invited to join in festive public groundbreaking activities on the site at 10 a.m. Friday, May 19: The Cal Aggie Band will perform, center supporters will speak and refreshments will be served as the campus celebrates. When completed, the new performance hall will feature an 1,800-seat main hall with state-of-the-art technology for excellent acoustics and a studio theater that will host dance and choral performances, lectures and theater productions for audiences as large as 250. A total of $60.9 million will be spent to build and operate the performance hall, including $53.5 million to construct the building, $2.4 million for startup costs and $5 million for an initial operating endowment. The center is being financed through a $30 million fund-raising campaign, a $15.4 million UC Regents' loan and $15.5 million in campus funds. To date, nearly $11 million has been pledged in the fund-raising campaign, which will continue throughout construction of the building. Those who pass by the site along Interstate 80 can see construction already, as the campus builds a new parking structure to accommodate the parking needs of future audiences at the center and the daily needs of campus faculty, staff and students. The new center will be a significant resource for the campus and the region. It will enhance UC Davis' reputation as a first-rate comprehensive university by raising the profile of its arts and humanities programs to that of its top-ranked programs in agriculture, medicine, law, veterinary medicine and the sciences. For the region, the center "will illustrate the powerful force that is created when philanthropy, academics and an honest engagement in addressing society's needs come together," says Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. "The effects will include a vibrant social climate and economic multipliers for the Sacramento metropolitan region and points west, and an enhanced sense of place for the arts and humanities here at UC Davis." Earlier this spring, Ron Cunningham, Sacramento Ballet artistic director, renewed his support for the center project when he visited the campus and told arts journalists gathered at a briefing that "I travel to a lot of cities and see a lot of performances. I can hardly stay in my chair with excitement over what's happening here." The center, Cunningham said, "is a major step forward for the community and for all the arts groups." Among the attributes of the new performing arts hall-designed by BOORA Architects of Portland, Ore.-will be an adjustable music shell surrounding the orchestra that will remain in place during symphonic and other musical performances but slide away during theatrical productions. Acoustical curtains will make it possible to "tune the room," modifying the environment to suit the event. The hall's suspended floor will eliminate any outside noise that might otherwise interfere with a performance. The new arts center will be managed by Brian McCurdy, director of University Cultural Programs and UC Davis Presents, the campus's arts presenting organization. Such a new hall, McCurdy says, offers the opportunity to "book the performers we want to book, to have our choice of dates instead of Mondays, Tuesdays or holiday weekends, and to present world-class artists. We will have a state-of-the-art performing arts center with a fully equipped stage, back stage, lobbies and amenities." For information on participating in the Center for the Arts Campaign, call (530) 757-3391.