UF president to raise roof on new George Steinbrenner Band Building

August 10, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For years the University of Florida’s marching band could be found rehearsing outdoors on the UF campus — rain or shine. All that will change with the completion of construction in spring 2008 of the George Steinbrenner Band Building. UF President Bernie Machen will join the College of Fine Arts in celebrating this progress at a “raise the roof” ceremony 10 a.m. Aug. 21 at the construction site on Newell Road.

Following a performance by the UF Gator Band, Machen, sports officials and College of Fine Arts and School of Music deans and directors will lay bricks in the wall of the new building. A reception will be held at the School of Music immediately following the event.

The new facility, located adjacent to the School of Music, provides a 5,600-square-foot rehearsal space for the marching band, a band library, instrument and uniform storage, administrative offices, a conference room and two large lobby areas. The building will be ready for occupancy in summer 2008.

The University Gator Band program is one of the largest and most visible student organizations at UF, involving more than 600 students from across campus. The band program has a proud history of providing high-quality service to the university — including appearances at national sporting championships — as well as to the state and music profession as a whole.

The new band building — constructed with generous donations from New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and numerous friends of music — represents the first phase of an ongoing project to install state-of-the-art facilities at the School of Music to serve UF’s students, faculty and community.

Parking for the event is available in the parking garage on the corner of Newell Road and Museum Road.

View progress of the band building construction on our Gator Vision Webcam at www.arts.ufl.edu/news.asp.