Members of the Kent State’s Stark campus faculty, staff, students and community gathered to sign the last beam before it was placed in the expanding Fine Arts Building on Thursday.

The project, a two-year expansion and renovation of the Fine Arts Building, is expected to be completed by Spring 2018. The music technology program will use the building.

A. Bathi Kasturiarachi, assistant dean for academic affairs, said the music technology program has increased by 40 percent in the last two years and is currently capped.

“We won’t have limitations with the new space,” Kasturiarachi said. “I can see interest in the music program increasing by another 25 percent after the new building is open.”

Currently, the music technology program has to go to an off-campus location to use recording studios. The expansion includes two recording studios, two production labs, a performance space and a student lounge.

“This is the first time we will have our own space,”  said Ian Anderson, assistant music professor.

Anderson said he wasn’t on campus since classes ended last month and was “speechless” when he saw the second story of the building.

“These facilities will be among best in the country,” Anderson said. “I fought hard for this.”

Matthew Morgan, a senior music technology major, welcomes the equipment upgrades.

“The computer would crash, and I would be two or three hours into a project,” he said. “I will be coming back and using the labs as an alumni.”

Ian Hudson, a senior music technology major, said the new equipment will ensure there are experienced individuals entering the workforce.

After the new music wing opens, renovations will continue inside the current fine arts classrooms.

Elizabeth Harrington is a regionals reporter. Contact her at [email protected].