Steps are being taken by West Virginia University to build a facility for its 330-member Pride of West Virginia marching band on its Evansdale campus on the site of Hawley Field, the former home of WVU Baseball.
The marching band, which has been in existence for more than 100 years, practices in a parking lot at the WVU Coliseum.
“The Pride has long deserved a dedicated rehearsal space, and we are excited to bring this project to life,” said Keith Jackson, dean of the College of Creative Arts, which is spearheading the project.
The project is still in the planning stages, but initial plans include a football-size, turf field. There will also be a pavilion, lighting and sound systems, and climate controlled-storage for instruments and uniforms. When not in use by The Pride, the facility will be open for use to WVU Athletics, and the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.
Jackson said the project has been discussed off and on for years and was finally given the green-light because the band simply needed a place to practice and band members needed to be protected from inclement weather. There was also a need for proper storage for uniforms and instruments. In addition, the site is an eight- to 10-minute walk from the PRT’s Engineering stop, Jackson said.
“We have lightning storms and sleet,” Jackson said. “There was no place large enough to practice.”
Regarding time-frame, the best-case scenario will have the band facility — still in the planning stages— to be built in the next two years.
“We’re in the midst of having plans drawn up,” he said.
The price tag for these kinds of band facilities can vary anywhere from $3.5 million to $18 million, said Jackson, adding he expects the project to be on the lower end of the price range.
“A new facility will enhance the Pride of West Virginia in a number of ways,” said Scott Tobias, director of bands, in a statement. “A turf field will allow the band members to rehearse on the same surface on which they perform in the Milan Puskar Stadium, while lights and a pavilion will help us avoid the loss of rehearsal time due to the weather and early sunsets late in the fall. Climate-controlled storage will greatly extend the life of our instruments and uniforms.”
Initial fundraising for the project is scheduled to begin today as part of WVU Day of Giving. The WVU Alumni Band has committed to raising $500,000.
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