Proposed Music Building part of Performing Arts District Master Plan at Texas State

The proposed new Music Building, a state-of-the-art, 129,000-square-foot facility, would include new classrooms and expand rehearsal space for music majors.

Texas State University has begun the process of revisiting a proposed new Music Building adjacent to Concho Green, which would enhance the south side of Texas State University's San Marcos campus and continue the transformation of the area into a "Performing Arts District" under the University Master Plan.

The building was initially proposed in 2010. The review will enable the university to update the plans and enhance the functionality of the building. Once the review is completed, potential fundraising initiatives will be considered. 

The University Master Plan, designed to guide development through the year 2027, focuses on distinct "district" concepts to guide future redevelopment in San Marcos and Round Rock. In addition to the Performing Arts District, designated districts include Healthcare at the Round Rock Campus; Science and Engineering, Athletics and the Hilltop on the San Marcos Campus; and Research and Innovation at the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Park.

The development of the Performing Arts District takes advantage of the ongoing evolution of the south side of campus. The distinctive, cylindrical Theatre Center has long been a Texas State landmark, and the eagerly-anticipated Performing Arts Center opened across the street in 2013. Coupled with the opening of the Edward Gary Street Garage, also in 2013, the south side of campus has transformed into a high-profile public destination and valuable integration point with the City of San Marcos. The Performing Arts District concept would build on these existing resources and trends. 

"If you think of the Performing Arts District, we already have the Performing Arts Center which contains the state-of-the-art Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre, as well as our very nice recital hall," said Gene Bourgeois, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "By moving the School of Music to a new building that would be either adjacent to the older Butler Hall, or into a renovated and expanded Butler Hall, we would then be able to position the Department of Theatre and Dance and the School of Music together. 

"Those are our primary departments and schools that are focused on the performing arts," he said. "It creates a nexus of creative and performing activities, on that end of the San Marcos Campus."

Concentrating such creative talent in a localized area would potentially result in more cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation. The current music building, located on the north side of the San Marcos campus in a converted gymnasium, doesn't facilitate such easy interactions. That would change with the new Music Building, a state-of-the-art, 129,000-square-foot facility that would include new classrooms and expand rehearsal space for music majors. 

Performing Arts District plans don't end with the proposed Music Building, however. Further down the road is a 65,000-square-foot expansion of the Performing Arts Center to accommodate a new performance venue, teaching space and musical practice space. Additional undergraduate housing is also under consideration for the area to create a living-learning housing community adjacent to Concho Green. This would involve the renovation or replacement of Lantana, Butler and Sterry Halls with higher density student housing.

The University Master Plan was developed by the firm SmithGroupJJR of Detroit, Michigan, following months of meetings with students, faculty and staff. These designated  districts allow the university to expand mixed-use areas within the academic core and enhance the student experience.

For more information on the Campus Master Plan, visit masterplan.fss.txstate.edu.