FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Leaders at Purdue University Fort Wayne broke ground on a new $25 million music building on Tuesday.
And with it, came some news. The 26,000-square-foot facility is set to be named the Surack – Sweetwater Music Industry Building. The name was chosen to recognize Chuck and Lisa Surack’s support and to acknowledge their role in the PFW School of Music’s growth since it welcomed its first students six years ago.
“This project is incredibly important because it’s a major investment in the future of music education in our community,” Chuck Surack said. “The new state-of-the-art facility will nurture and develop musicians, create new opportunities for learning and creativity, and support the growth of the music scene in Fort Wayne.”
The building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.
When completed, the new music industry building’s amenities will include three recording studios and control rooms, 10 edit suites, an audio lab, rehearsal spaces, a large classroom, seven offices, and a conference room.
The bigger of the two rehearsal spaces will be more than 3,000 square feet. It too has received a name – the Marsha Walb Heller Rehearsal Hall – that recognizes a generous gift from David and Jill Heller.
PFW now has its own record label as well. Gold Top Music Group, which is believed to be the only record label in the country to involve students on a weekly basis in and out of the classroom. It will also be moving to the new facility.
Forty percent of the funding for the state-of-the-art facility came from private donors, including matching $3 million lead gifts from the Auer Foundation and the Suracks, which were announced in August 2022. Fundraising efforts received another major boost in May 2023 with a $15 million budget allocation from the Indiana General Assembly. And to help cover rising construction costs as plans were being finalized, the Suracks recently delivered a second game-changing gift of $3 million to ensure that the project could move forward as planned.
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