University Breaks Ground for New Chapel and Fine Arts Center
University Chaplain Ken Dill, far left, and Southern Wesleyan University student chaplains scoop some soil at the groundbreaking ceremony for the institution’s new Faith Newton Hobson Chapel, as President David Spittal directs from the stage.
The campus and community gathered at Folger Fine Arts Auditorium on April 10 and ended the ceremony on the site of the new facility on Wesleyan Drive. The new building will be called the Faith Newton Hobson Chapel, in honor of a Southern Wesleyan University graduate. Hobson grew up near the university and has numerous personal and family ties to the institution.
“This new building will be a significant asset to the university and to our community. In addition to providing quality resources for our music programs, the facility will also provide a new resource for community events,” said Dr. David Spittal, president of Southern Wesleyan University.
The new chapel and fine arts center will provide seating for 1,200 in its main auditorium and will be used for student chapel programs, university and community concerts and other larger gatherings, such as community and conference events.
The three-story facility will also house offices for the university chaplain, fine arts faculty and support staff, in addition to music studios, practice rooms and rehearsal halls for the university’s growing fine arts department.
Construction on the new building is scheduled to be completed in August of 2008.
The new 47,000-square-foot building is part of the university’s master plan for expansion and has been designed to accommodate growth in university enrollment and to provide expanded space for community programs on the campus, Spittal said.
The funding for the $5 million dollar facility has been provided through contributions by alumni and friends of the university’s Building Foundations for a New Generation capital campaign project.
“I am deeply grateful to those who given so generously to this project,” Spittal said. “The encouragement and financial support of our trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and friends has made this day possible.”
In addition to the chapel and fine arts project, the university master plan and capital campaign includes the construction of a new university physical education and wellness center designed to host 2,500 spectators for athletic and community events. The wellness center will include an indoor running track, training facilities, coaching offices, locker rooms and teaching classrooms.
In addition to serving the university, this facility will also provide an excellent community resource for larger public events. The schedule for the funding and completion of the wellness facility will be announced by the university when plans are finalized.