Graham Construction & Management Inc., of Spokane, expects to begin work early next month on a $6.8 million project to erect Wenatchee Valley College's Center for Music and Art building.

The single-story building will have about 27,000 square feet of floor space and will be erected on about four acres of undeveloped property at the southeast corner of the school's campus, says Suzie Benson, its vice president of administrative services. Wenatchee Valley College is located at 1300 Fifth Street, in Wenatchee.

Integrus Architecture PS, also of Spokane, designed the building.

Graham expects to complete the project in about a year, says Brian Holecek, a senior project manager with Graham Construction.

He says the planned structure will have a recital hall with about 150 seats, rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, audio tech room, and keyboard room. For the arts, it will have studios for painting, drawing, graphic design, and multimedia, as well as a wood shop and classrooms.

The college currently is leasing a former Eagles Lodge building across the street from campus, at its northwest corner, for its music education and art classes.

The state legislature has allocated $2 million for the Music and Art Center, Benson says. The college also has secured about $4 million from gifts and by selling of some of its property, and it has an ongoing fundraising campaign to raise about $800,000.

Wenatchee Valley College offers associate degrees in the arts, sciences, and general studies as well as short-term technical certifications. It has a population of about 8,400 students, of which about 2,900 are full time.