The arts in Auburn will soon have a new home, as construction is underway on a new, 85,000-square-foot performing arts facility south of Auburn University’s campus. Named after former Auburn University President Jay Gogue and his wife Susie, the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center is under construction in Auburn on South College Street across from another Auburn art landmark—the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.
With an approved budget of $65 million, the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center intends to serve as a state-of-the-art performance venue supporting music, theater, dance, speeches and other events, cultivating an enhanced experience for both the spectator and entertainer. Construction fences were up around the plot of land for the performing arts center’s new home starting last month, marking the initiation of a process that is slated to be completed by summer 2019.
Renderings of the new facility depict a glass-fronted venue with an attached outdoor performance space fronting an expansive green lawn for outdoor seating. Inside, the multipurpose venue is projected to be able to seat approximately 1,200 guests with a box office, catering kitchen, wardrobe and dressing rooms, conference space and office spaces.
According to the Auburn Plainsman, the decision to name the center after arts-supporters Jay and Susie Gogue was approved by the Auburn University Board of Trustees in June 2017. In addition, a portion of the money funding the center came from donors and Auburn University alumni John and Rosemary Brown, who committed $25 million of a $57 million donation to the university specifically to the new performing arts center.
The strategic placing of the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center across from Jule Collins intends to create a sort of “performing arts corridor” along that stretch of South College Street, in turn providing a distinct place for the arts to thrive among Auburn University students and city of Auburn residents alike.
Whether you are new to Auburn or you are a longtime resident, the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center is something to get excited about as an investment into the support of artistic culture in our community!
To keep up with what’s going on in the Auburn and Opelika areas, continue to follow the Ryan Roberts Realtor blog! And for your real estate needs in Auburn, Opelika and Lake Martin, contact Ryan Roberts today at 334-750-9872, or email [email protected]!
