A new five-year facilities master plan approved this week by the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees paves the way for the university to seek state capital outlay funding for a large portion of a transformative new Arts District on campus.

The proposed initiative would establish the Center for Creative Arts and Entrepreneurship, featuring a comprehensive $51.5 million upgrade to NMU's arts district facilities. The university plans to request $30 million in state funding to support the project.

Key components of the plan include a 17,900-square-foot renovation of Forest Roberts Theatre that would expand the lobby, modernize visual, audio and lighting infrastructure, upgrade back-of-house support spaces and implement ADA compliance updates.

A 30,000-square-foot addition is also included in the plan to enhance the Blackbox Theatre, introduce a new scene construction shop and create a state-of-the-art theatre and dance studio lab with specialized rehearsal and performance spaces.

In addition, the plan includes a new high-tech media creation lab with a multi-use space equipped with a live recording room, sound-editing booths and post-production workspaces.

NMU Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Gavin Leach said the new facilities plan aligns with Strategy 2.3 of "Our Compass," the university's strategic plan, which calls for the development of an NMU Arts District. Leach said the new and renovated space is designed to serve as a university-wide academic creative commons and that the district will connect non-arts majors with creative resources.

"It gives students across business, technology, humanities, and the sciences space to launch entrepreneurial ventures, collaborate and prototype new ideas," Leach said."We think it would be a big benefit not only to our arts programs, but also to the community and the regional economy as a whole. This project will grow Northern's impact as a central hub for arts and culture in the U.P."

NMU's existing arts complex was built in 1964 and has received minimal updates. Meanwhile, enrollment in the Theatre & Dance department has jumped 300 percent since 2020. The department currently supports up to 16 major productions and more than 80 public performance nights annually.

While capital projects typically run on four-to-five-year state funding cycles-and following the recently approved 24,000-square-foot addition to C.B. Hedgcock for the College of Business-the board's approval initiates the state submission process.

"These things do not happen overnight," Leach added. "But this begins the formal process to put this project forward for state consideration."