The City of Raleigh is preparing to go ahead with a $6 million renovation of the Pullen Arts Center, a centerpiece of the Raleigh arts scene for decades. The art center—built in 1961—has started to show wear and tear, WRAL reports. With limited space and plumbing and electrical work needed, the city plans to make the center suitable for the next 50 years.
“Right now we have 10 people in a class, and it’s a very tight space for 10 people,” said Betty McKim, who has been teaching art for 20 years. “We are definitely squeezed for space.”
Project manager James Marapoti will oversee the center’s renovation, which will encompass the outdoor plaza and surrounding land.
“There’s three options—renovate the existing footprint, renovate and expand, or build new,” Marapoti said.
Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2016 and the project will take an estimated three years to complete.