The University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees authorized the administration to proceed with bid requests for the construction of an amphitheater during a teleconference on Monday.
The 200-seat amphitheater will be located between the Student Center and Ida Waldran Auditorium. UCA officials plan to have the project completed by the opening of the fall semester.
The design included an elevated grass area, three brick columns, cast concrete seating and landscaping. Architects have identified deductive alternatives if bids are over budget, said UCA President Tom Courtway. Items removed from the project can be added when funding is available.
Initial cost for the project is estimated at $268,000.The board allocated $112,500 from the Board of Trustees Fund for the project. Trustee Rush Harding donated $112,500 and additional funds were given by the SGA and the Department of Housing.
The Student Government Association is pleased with the current design, said Austin Hall, SGA president.
“I hope we can find a way to keep the plan,” he said.
The amphitheater project is a part of “Think Big! Project,” a Student Government Association initiative that allows students, faculty and staff to submit proposals that would benefit the UCA community.
The administration will come back to the board for approval of the bid, Courtway said.
“This is a significant project right in the middle of the campus,” he said.
