The construction of the Karol and Lila Furman Kocimski Auditorium for the College of Design is continuing on schedule, and officials say they expect the addition to help move the college into the 21st century.

Groundbreaking for the project started last September, and construction is expected to be finished by the end of July.

However, Mark Engelbrecht, dean of the College of Design, said dedication of the auditorium will not take place until next September.

The addition of the auditorium is the first and largest part of the Threshold 2000 project, a renovations and improvements venture to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the college.

As a universitywide facility, the 250-seat auditorium will be used as a lecture hall for art history and theory classes, as well as classes from other departments.

Stacy Cullison, director of developments for the College of Design, said the auditorium also will be available for presentations to the community.

Engelbrecht said the auditorium, which has been in serious planning for about three years, will give the College of Design an excellent opportunity to showcase its merits.

“I am extremely pleased that we are going to accomplish this project, and I think it is going to position us to become one of the premier design colleges in the U.S.,” he said.

Engelbrecht said the renovations will be a turning point for the College of Design, making it more technologically advanced.

“I hope that we will have the best technology available for learning what we want to learn,” he said. “Increasingly, design and the arts are interested and involved in the computer, and [technology] has become another set of tools available to the students.”

Cullison, who also is the coordinator of fund raising for Threshold 2000, said the addition of the auditorium is a much needed expansion to the college.

“It’s a huge addition for us; there is not a large lecture hall in the College of Design,” Cullison said. “[We] always had to go to other buildings. [It will be convenient] to have a very comprehensive design building in one spot.”

Other components of the current construction include additional studios for printmaking, drawing and painting and an electronic distance-education facility to connect students’ coursework from around the world.

Karol and Lila Kocimski donated $850,000 to the project, which was one of the most substantial gifts. The late Karol Kocimski was an ISU architecture professor for 20 years.

In addition to the Karol and Lila Furman Kocimski Auditorium, other Threshold 2000 improvements include the refurbishing of the atrium and the addition of new display areas, a cyber cafe and a review and reading area.

One-third of the funding for the $3 million project came from the university; the rest was raised through private sources.

“There has been great support from alumni and friends of the college,” Cullison said. “They have really made this addition a reality.”

Cullison said more than 200 individuals and corporations contributed $2.1 million to the project.