Costly musical dream

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Sonoma State University's longtime president is under attack by faculty members for his seemingly single-minded quest to build a world-class music center, a dream critics say is siphoning money and staff time away from the campus' day-to-day academic needs.

The Green Music Center at Sonoma State was first proposed as a small choral hall to serve students. But after campus President Ruben Armiñana visited the famed Tanglewood concert hall in Massachusetts in 1996, he was inspired to think big for his small campus in Rohnert Park.

Now, a decade later, the initial $22 million price tag has ballooned to an estimated $100 million and the 105,436-square-foot building is barely a quarter built. With fundraising for the project falling behind the growing need, the university is short of money to even pay for things like the 1,400 concert hall seats and bathroom fixtures. But Armiñana has decided to go ahead with constructing the center while he searches for money to finish the buildings.

The long-range plans for the project include three components -- the concert hall, a hospitality center with meeting rooms and a restaurant, and a music education building that will house the arts programs and accommodate community groups.

So far about $43 million has been raised through private donations. Another $18.1 million has come from state construction bonds and $25 million from the state capital program for the music faculty offices and instructional equipment in the academic building. The campus will use taxpayer funds to cover the approximately $934,054 it will cost each year to operate the center.

Looting.