City officials approved plans for a two-story extension to The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts last week.

The plan includes a two-story building extension that will provide extra classroom space, a dance studio and two black box theatres to the building, according to plans submitted to the city’s Design and Project Review Committee. The new building space will extend from the corner of the Wirtz Center, changing the curve of Campus Drive.

The building extension is part of the renovations to the Wirtz Center that began during Fall Quarter and are set to finish in December 2016. The renovation will affect approximately 21,000 square feet including parking and building renovations. The new additions, along with improvements in accessibility, will be added to the first and second floors of the Wirtz Center, and particularly impact the Josephine Louis Theater.

The extra space is intended to improve teaching space in response to the increased number of students enrolled in the School of Communication and allow expansions to the theatre and performance studies programs, according to the Facilities Management website.

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