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SALT LAKE CITY — The Madeleine Choir School broke ground Thursday on renovations to the century-old Jacquelyn M. Erbin Hall.
The renovations began Thursday and will be taking place over the next year or so. Contractors will work to retrofit the structure for seismic safety and add classrooms, laboratory facilities and rehearsal and performance spaces, as well as update mechanical and electrical systems. Classes will continue through the 2016 school year while contractors work in parts of the hall away from the 380 students.
The school expects the construction to be completed around August 2016, in time for the school's largest incoming class to fill the new classrooms. The $5 million renovation was funded in large part by donations, according to Pastoral Administrator Gregory Glenn.
While the school's classrooms and lab facilities will be modern in design, historical areas such as the song school, library, oratory and atrium will be restored to their original character.
...We're able to restore what is a wonderful historic old building in the Avenues neighborhood while also making it a very safe and functional and, in fact, kind of an exciting space for 21st century learning.
–Gregory Glenn
"What's wonderful about this project is that we're able to restore what is a wonderful historic old building in the Avenues neighborhood while also making it a very safe and functional and, in fact, kind of an exciting space for 21st century learning," Glenn said. "We feel very fortunate that we're able to do both of those things."
The administrators hope the renovated and restored spaces will fulfill the needs of the school's student body.
"Our students are very accelerated here and they need the state-of-the art science equipment," Principal Jill Baillie said. "We really need to challenge the students and come up with state-of-the-art learning spaces. The atrium, it just makes sense to restore a beautiful focal point of the school back to its historic value."
