EXTERIOR

The FMU Performing Arts Center, an estimated 61,000 square foot facility located in downtown Florence, has been made possible through a partnership between FMU and the City of Florence and is partially funded through a substantial private gift from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation. Its main elements include a main auditorium with a fly tower, a 100-seat flexible Black Box space, and an Academic Wing for the Department of Fine Arts. The exterior of the building consists of Winnsboro granite with Georgia White Cherokee marble insets.

SITE PLAN

The FMU Performing Arts Center is located on Dargan Street between Palmetto and Cheves streets. Handicap parking and bus drop off are located on site, but the main parking will be provided by the city at a location nearby. The building has a setback of approximately 100 feet, similar to the setback for the Poynor Adult Education Center and the Doctors Bruce and Lee Foundation Library.

LOBBY

The 9,000 square foot lobby has a terrazzo floor, and the granite and marble from the exterior are seen inside as well. The lobby entrance is a curtain wall of windows with glazed onyx strips. There is a grand staircase to your right (with access to the Box Office behind it) and an elevator to your left (with access to a coat check room and House Management/First Aid Office behind it). Both the elevator and the staircase give patrons with balcony seating in the main auditorium access to the second floor.

LEVEL 1 FLOOR PLAN

The Academic Wing (dark yellow) has a coat check room, offices, and restroom facilities. The Mainstage (blue) has approximately 650 seats and control rooms for lighting and sound operation. The Support Area (pink) has technical staff offices, storage spaces, a catering kitchen, a five-person dressing room, and a loading dock area that can accommodate two semi trucks. The Black Box (purple) is a 100-seat flexible space with lighting and sound equipment comparable to the Mainstage but in a more intimate setting. The Box Office sells tickets on the side of the Black Box that faces the Lobby. The Lobby (light yellow) is the main entrance into the building.

LEVEL 2 FLOOR PLAN

Rooms in the Academic Wing (dark yellow) are for the Music Industry degree which began at FMU in Fall of 2008. There are three faculty offices, two small practice rooms, a medium-sized rehearsal room, a technology lab, and restroom facilities. The Mainstage (blue) has approximately 250 seats in the balcony and boxes. The Support Area (pink) has laundry and wardrobe maintenance rooms, several dressing rooms, and lounge areas for artists to use before a performance. The Black Box (purple) is not accessible to the public. The Lobby (light yellow) has a balcony that gives one a view of Dargan Street.

MAINSTAGE INTERIOR

The main auditorium can accommodate 900 people (approximately 650 seats on the orchestra level and 250 seats in the balcony and box seating). This rendering shows a concert hall configuration with the orchestra shell in place onstage. For a different configuration, seating near the stage can be removed and an orchestra pit can be created for musicals or a ballet with an orchestra. Acoustical panels on the wall and in the orchestra shell as well as acoustical drapes will be used to provide the best conditions possible for both live and recorded sound. Both the Mainstage and the Black Box will have various musical, theatrical, and dance productions throughout the season.

BB&T AMPHITHEATER

The addition of the amphitheatre to our Performing Arts Center has been made possible through a $325,000 donation from BB&T and will be located on the Palmetto Street side of the property. Steps lead down to a semicircular seating area that can accommodate around 300 people while an upper area can accommodate around 200 people. Concrete pavers cover the floor area of the seating, allowing grass to grow through them. A small stage area is at the end of the amphitheatre near the Academic Wing, and the rest of the amphitheatre is surrounded by beautiful trees.

THE BEVERLY HAZELWOOD AND STARR WARD GARDEN COURTYARD

The courtyard, located behind the Academic Wing, has been made possible through a generous donation by Adele Kassab. Access will be possible from the Lobby area and Academic Wing, as well as from exterior entrances. Benches, sculpture, and a water feature will provide the setting for preshow and intermission gatherings and foliage will allow privacy for small rental events.

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Construction
July 13, 2010

Wooden acoustic fins above seating in Main Auditorium

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Applying three layers of drywall to orchestra shell storage area

Preparation for installation of scissor lifts in loading dock area

View of Lobby from Beverly Hazelwood and Starr Ward Garden Courtyard

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Construction
May 25, 2010

The beginnings of the grand staircase in the Lobby

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Dennis Ward of FW Architects in hallway of 1st floor Academic Wing

View of Mainstage from catwalk area

Contractor Brian Riedy showing Support Area window to architects

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Construction
April 19, 2010

View of mainstage from loading dock area

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Orchestra shell storage for mainstage

Scaffolding in main auditorium for ceiling installation

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Construction
March 23, 2010

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Scoring concrete in main auditorium seating area

Concrete has been poured on Upper Lobby

Preparing to pour concrete on Mainstage

View of west side of Academic Wing from above

Loading dock doors at rear of Support Area

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Construction
Feb. 23 – March 16, 2010

Curtain wall windows installed in Academic Wing

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A view of the roof

Laying vapor barrier in main auditorium seating area

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Construction
February 22, 2010

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Performance Lab

Orchestra pit

Medium practice room with curtain wall windows

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Construction
February 3, 2010

View of Lobby from box office side.

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Beginning of waterproofing process
in Support Area

View of Mainstage from back row of balcony

Followspot booth

View of Mainstage auditorium from center stage

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Construction
January 15, 2010

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Entrance to Black Box from Lobby and
view of box office window

View of first floor Support Area hallway
from Black Box

Cleaning the exterior marble and granite

Balcony and rear orchestra seating
as seen from above

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Construction
December 17, 2009

View of entrances into Academic Wing.

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Seating under balcony in Main Auditorium

Loading dock doors, facing Dargan Street

View of mainstage from seats under balcony

Installation of blue roof on building

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Construction
November 24, 2009

All photos taken by FMU student Latoya Singleton.

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Construction
November 19, 2009

Looking out box office window into Lobby

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Balcony of Main Auditorium

Box seats in Main Auditorium, house left side

Mainstage and orchestra pit

Green Room and star dressing room

View of 2nd floor Lobby, Dargan Street to your left

View of back side of Academic Wing from above

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Construction
October 28, 2009

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Front facade of Academic Wing is complete

Installation of duct work in Lobby

Georgia White Cherokee marble on Black Box

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Construction
October 15, 2009

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Georgia White Cherokee marble on front of Academic Wing

Further development of Support Area

View of Main Auditorium from stage area; square piece is beginning of fly tower

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Construction
September 22-29, 2009

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Steel for Support Area, located behind Black Box

Steel for Main Auditorium

Installation of Winnsboro granite on back side of Academic Wing

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Construction
September 8, 2009

Mrs. Kathleen Pompe, Professor of Photography at Francis Marion University, brought her students to the site for a photography outing. Here is what they saw...

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Photographed by FMU student Bethany Luhman

Photographed by FMU student Caroline Crouch

Photographed by FMU student Devon Coward

Photographed by FMU student Leah Anderson

Photographed by FMU student Nicole Ouellette

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Construction
August 25, 2009

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Preparing to pour concrete for the rear orchestra in Main Theatre

Mockup of Georgia White Cherokee marble inset with window

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Construction
July 21 – August 18, 2009

Steel for both the Academic Wing and Black Box are 95% complete, steel for the Lobby is 70% complete, and steel for the Main Theater began the week of August 10th. Subcontractors are also working on mock-ups to show us and the architects.

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View of the Black Box and Lobby from the 2nd floor of the Academic Wing

Placing steel on the Lobby

Roofs are on Academic Wing and Black Box

View of the Black Box control room

Placing steel for the Main Auditorium

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Construction
July 16, 2009

Steel has gone up for the Academic Wing, Black Box, and the Lobby areas and it is anticipated that all of the floors in the Academic Wing and Black Box will be poured within the next several weeks.

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Rear orchestra seating (underneath balcony)

Front of building from Dargan Street

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Construction
June 30, 2009

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View from Lobby of lighting and sound control rooms for Mainstage

View into orchestra pit (doors for two entrances can be seen, as well as hallway upstage of pit)

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Construction
June 25, 2009

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Academic Wing from the Support Area

Stairwell and elevator leading to orchestra pit

Orchestra pit from south side of building

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Courtyard to be named for Hazelwood and Ward

The Garden Courtyard project of the FMU Performing Arts Center will be named for Beverly Hazelwood and Starr Ward, both of whom have made considerable contributions to the arts in Florence.

Construction
June 9th 2009

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Orchestra pit

Rear view of the orchestra pit and its back wall

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The Performing Arts Center Goes Vertical!
May 26, 2009

In addition to steel, all foundations and columns independent from the walls are poured and the drainage for the orchestra pit has been installed.

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First piece of steel being placed on the site

Cross bracing placed for Academic Wing

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City of Florence to Give $3 million to FMU Performing Arts Center

The city of Florence is set to give $3 million toward the construction of the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center.

Mayor Stephen J. Wukela will present FMU President Dr. Fred Carter with the check at 11 a.m. Thursday at the site of the former McLeod hospital building across from the center’s construction site on West Cheves Street.

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By Nicholas Hilbourn
Arts and Entertainment Writer
Published: May 15, 2009

FLORENCE — The city of Florence is set to give $3 million toward the construction Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center.

Mayor Stephen J. Wukela will present FMU President Dr. Fred Carter with the check at 11 a.m. Thursday at the site of the former McLeod hospital building across from the center’s construction site on West Cheves Street.

“The city is proud to participate in the construction of the Performing Arts Center,” Wukela said. “Without question, this fantastic facility will be a great asset to the city and assist efforts at downtown revitalization. I want to thank Francis Marion University and the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation and all the others who made this possible.”

The $3 million contribution represents the last of three contributions and commitments the city has made to the FMU project.

The city’s first contribution to the project was made Oct. 9, 2006, when Florence City Council conveyed many parcels of property, acquired by the city for a total cost of more than $2 million to the university. The $2 million in acquisition costs were funded by more than $1.7 million from the city and a $300,000 Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation grant.

The city’s second contribution and commitment to the project was made via the city’s previous commitment to provide parking for the FMU Performing Arts Center.

The center will serve as an instructional space for FMU’s fine arts programs and a venue for national traveling music, dance and theater productions. It also will serve as one of the “anchors” in downtown Florence intended to draw private business into the area.
Malcolm Holzman is the center’s architect. MB Kahn Coastal Division was selected as the contractor for the center’s construction by the governing board in November after its $27,722,218 bid was judged the lowest. The bid is less than the $30 million projected by the governing board before the bidding process for the construction contract.

With soft costs and such alternative projects as the sculpture garden and the amphitheater, the project cost will come to $32,881,000.

The base cost of the project is being paid for with money donated by the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, the state of South Carolina and the city of Florence.

The alternative costs are being paid for by private donations, one of which was a $325,000 donation by BB&T in September toward the amphitheatre. Another gift was given earlier this month by Florence resident Adele Kassab toward the sculpture garden.
The center is set to be completed in fall 2010.

Laura Sims, managing director for the center, said Florence residents who want to keep abreast of updates related to the construction can join an e-mail club by e-mailing fmupac@fmarion.edu and asking for updates on the building.

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Forms Are in Place
May 8, 2009

A great deal of progress has been made in the past month – forms are in place for the foundations. The footers create an wonderful outline of the building, so you get a good sense of the size and shape of things!

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Pump for orchestra pit

Pouring the foundation for the orchestra pit

Rebar with safety caps outlining wall connecting Lobby to Main Auditorium

Placing rebar for orchestra pit

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FMU Performing Arts Center Board Tours Site

Members of the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center governing board toured the center’s construction site and received updates on the progress of the building’s construction.

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View of orchestra pit from south side of building

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Pouring the Footings/footers

Footings/Footers are the platforms that the foundation of the building sits on - it's how the building's entire weight is distributed into the ground.

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Pouring the footer for the wall connecting the Lobby to the Main Auditorium

Orchestra pit

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1,035 Geopiers Installed
March 3, 2009

A month has passed since our groundbreaking, and quite of bit of dirt has been moved! However, when you pass by, it may not look as though much has happened. As of last week, the geopier installation was over 60% complete.