GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Valley State University will spend $20 million on an addition and renovations to its Performing Arts Center, which houses the Louis Armstrong Theater.

On Friday, April 29, the Board of Trustees signed off on the project, which is set to begin next week and be completed in August 2017. Built in 1971, this will be the fifth addition to the facility on the Allendale campus.

"The facility is designed to address some demanding issues both within the theater and music programs,'' James Moyer, associate vice president for facilities planning, told trustees, who held a meeting at the L. William Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Moyer cited an example of limited space forcing the Music Art & Theatre for Elementary Education students to meet in a dining room of the nearby Kirkhof Center.

The two-story, 44,000-square-foot addition will be on the east side of the existing Performing Arts Center and include:

• A black box theater that will seat approximately 140 people

• Associated theater support spaces, including theater lab, four dressing rooms

• Two theater classrooms

• Three ensemble rooms

• New student study space

• Enlarged student study space in the building's primary lobby

• Seven offices, storage space

President Thomas Haas said the addition and renovations will address critical needs in the short-term, and the university still envisions a world-class facility that seats up to 1,200 people, from the current 470.

"James (Moyer) has done a really good job of making this a more coherent, effective and efficient use of the space at the end of the day," said Haas.

Officials say a new facility could cost $50 million and remains a long-term project in the master plan. They say the existing facility would complement any future project and not be wasted dollars.

Board Chair David Hooker said a new facility will not only be great for students and the university, but there could be some synergy in doing other things that draw more people from Grand Rapids and the suburbs to the campus.

"There are a number people that are involved in the theater community that think Grand Rapids could support another DeVos Performance Hall," he said.

Haas said the addition and renovation project is being paid with the interest the university earns on its savings. He said the Undistributed Interest Income fund has a $28 million balance.

Stantec Architecture is the project architect and engineer and Pioneer Construction is the manager.

There are already a couple major construction projects underway on campus, including construction on the new, $37 million residence hall and academic building, located on the northwestern edge of campus. The project is on schedule to be completed in August.

The building will accommodate 498 students increasing on-campus housing capacity to about 6,300 students.

Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook