Renovations begin on Hill Hall

Renovations have begun on Hill Hall, one of UNC’s oldest academic buildings.

The 455-seat auditorium and rotunda in the building will be renovated for $15 million, which is privately funded through the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, the Office of the Provost and a campaign where donors can put their name on a seat in the new auditorium.

The auditorium will be named after former chancellor James Moeser and his wife, Susan, both of whom are professors within the music department.

“There is a long list of buildings that need repair and renovation, and Hill Hall has been on that list and a priority for us for a very long time,” Karen Gil, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said.

Construction is scheduled to end in the 2016-17 academic year, said Terry Rhodes, senior associate dean for the fine arts and humanities department. However, Rhodes said that the timeline for the project is still uncertain.

“When you go into an older building like that, there can be surprises and we hear that all the time from the architects,” Rhodes said.

Hill Hall, which was built in 1907, serves as one of the music department’s three academic buildings on campus.

It includes spaces for classroom instruction, rehearsals and performances.

Rhodes said the auditorium is not air-conditioned, and the building has needed repairs since she joined the faculty in 1987.

The auditorium within Hill Hall has given way to performances from a variety of artists and speakers including Yo-Yo Ma, Joan Baez and Martin Luther King Jr.

Many classes, performances and offices will be affected by the construction. Emily Farmer, a rising senior music major, said it will be inconvenient for her and other music majors during the construction period.

Farmer said her music fraternity had to move its materials out of the classrooms and into a closet in another part of Hill Hall.

She said she understands the need for renovations to the auditorium and rotunda but wishes there were plans to renovate the practice rooms, where music majors spend a large portion of their time.

“It’s great that they are renovating the performance space, but what about the practice rooms?” Farmer said.

“What about actually helping the students who are here, who are learning, to become better performers?”

Gil assured that the college’s priority is with the students and faculty.

“It certainly fits our priority in the College of Arts and Sciences to really spotlight the performing arts,” Gil said.

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