INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Butler University has set nearly ten million dollars for renovations aimed at transforming Clowes Memorial Hall into a state-of-the-art venue, part of a larger effort to elevate the university into a world-class destination.

New renderings by the university showcase plans for Clowes Memorial Hall’s new look, including the construction of a new concert venue and several upgrades to the facility.

The proposed changes looks to include as many as 1,400 seats in the concert hall, a reception area that doubles as a private event space, and updated seating in the theater’s three balconies, which will include open-air suites.

Aaron Hurt, vice president of arts, events, and enterprise management at Butler University, said the additions will allow the university to offer more programming aimed at younger audiences, given its 4,000-student enrollment.

“It feels like a career day,” Hurt said.

The university received a $9 million grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, it said in a release.

The overhaul of Clowes Memorial Hall is part of a broader development plan for Butler University, which also includes the creation of a $100 million Midtown Arts District, a key piece of Butler’s Gateway Project. The university described the Gateway Project as a broader vision of President James Danko’s, and they plan to use that vision to connect the campus and Midtown.

Once the construction at Clowes is complete, the district will be anchored by the hall and is expected to serve as a cultural hub that connects the university to the surrounding community.

The university envisions the district bringing live performances and arts programming to the area, with Clowes Memorial Hall at its core. Officials hope the project will also revitalize the city’s cultural landscape.

“I think – of a certain generation – when you think of concerts coming to Indy, you think of downtown or Broad Ripple. I want Clowes back in the mix of that,” Hurt said.

“How do we become the center hub for arts as well as arts education, but then entertainment too? I don’t think anybody in the Midwest has got that exactly solidified yet. I think we have a huge shot at it right now because of this grant,” he said.

Further expansion plans include the construction of a convention center situated between Clowes Memorial Hall and the Sunset Avenue Parking Garage. The university also plans to build an outdoor plaza where visitors can socialize before events.