Renovations to the McKinley Building that will house the School of Communication will be completed two months earlier than originally planned, according to SOC Dean Jeffrey Rutenbeck.
The building was originally slated to be finished around Feb. 1, 2014 but is now expected to be finished by Dec. 1 of this year. Discussions about moving SOC from the Mary Graydon Center to McKinley started around 10 years ago, while construction on the building began this past summer, Rutenbeck said.
Construction teams have made quicker progress on the renovations than was previously planned, and the building should be ready for student and faculty use in the beginning of the spring 2014 semester, Rutenbeck said.
There are no plans to rename the building as of now, Rutenbeck said in an email.
The new building will include a 144-seat theater, a rooftop terrace and a new media innovation lab for students in SOC’s doctoral program, according to Rutenbeck.
“[McKinley] will provide SOC with a high-profile on-the-quad presence that clearly communicates AU’s commitment to supporting one of the best schools of communication in the country,” Rutenbeck said.
smurphy@theeagleonline.com
