Following years of planning by faculty and students, the Hancock College community reached a major milestone Wednesday by breaking ground on one of the biggest projects yet — an 88,000-square-foot Fine Arts Complex on the Santa Maria campus.
The $48 million project was financed by a combination of funds from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, Measure I bonds and a $10 million gift from former piano instructor Patricia Boyd, for whom a recital hall in the complex will be named.
The two-story facility also will house the college’s dance, drama, film, graphics, music, photography and multimedia programs, along with a 400-seat music venue.
During a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, college officials and staff clad in construction hats shared about the journey toward establishing the facility before officially turning dirt at the site.
The complex will be located in an unoccupied lawn and parking lot area between the Performing Arts Center and the Humanities, Business and Community Education buildings.
“This has been a long time coming, and it’s going to be a tremendous asset for the college and for the community when we bring all of our media arts [and] traditional fine arts into one place,” Hancock President and CEO Kevin Walthers said.
