Erma Lowe Hall is under construction to get a new porch, but some students wonder if they’ll be able to find time to enjoy it.

“I’m super excited to have a porch, but I’m not sure I’ll have much time to sit on it because our dance schedule literally has us going all day,” said Livia Lavender, a first-year dance major.

The addition of the porch will ensure that the building matches the grand entrances of the other buildings on South University Drive, said Harold Leeman, the associate director for major projects and facilities planning.

Once complete, a staircase will lead to the porch area while the two existing entrance doors will remain unchanged, Leeman added.

Construction started in early February, but the porch design has been in the works for about four months, Leeman said. Overall, he said student reaction has been positive.

Lavender said the construction hasn’t had a huge impact on their rehearsals, and the music usually masks the construction noises.

“Our music is pretty loud,” she said. “But I can hear it when I’m in the student lounge in between classes.”

Erma Lowe, originally built as a gymnasium in 1921, was taken over by the ballet department in 1973.

The Ballet and Modern Dance Building was named for Erma Lowe Hall in Sept. 2010. Lowe was a volunteer, philanthropist and TCU Trustee.  Her daughter, Mary Ralph Lowe, is on the Board of Trustees.

The dancers are rehearsing for the end of the year show. Construction is set to be complete by mid-May.