The bidders for the project were the companies that provided the services to the building construction such as heating, electric, fire protection, and airflow. These companies were Monarch Construction Co ($2,153,900), Studebacker Electric Co ($373,384), J.A. Croson Crew ($185,000), Fred B. DeBra Co. ($459,450), Kahoe Air Balancing Co. ($6,300), and General Firematic Sprinkler Co. ($43,400). The construction window at the time was predicted to last between 12 and 14 months, with groundbreaking beginning in late fall or early spring. Richard Celeste, the governor who originally signed the monetary funding for the art building, participated actively in the groundbreaking for the new art building. On March 12, 1971, a dedication concert took place to open the building to the public. The president of the university at the time, Phillip R. Shriver, held the honor of presiding over the function. Hardigg Sexton, the director of the neighboring Sesquicentennial Chapel, recited the official invocation for the event. The architect of the building, Herbert F. Hilmer, from the Cellarius &Hilmer architecture firm was also in attendance to formally present the building to the community. The presentation of the key was delivered by Marvin L. Warner of the board of trustees. The concert included several prominent student performance groups, including as the Men’s Glee Club and the New Music Ensemble, orchestrated by Ronald Herder. During the year 1986, the ribbon cutting ceremony for the art building took place as part of the events of the “57 years of art” celebration on Miami’s campus. The cutting was to be the 14th of June 1986, with the Art building opening that very same day. The purpose of the celebration was to designate the anniversary of the first school of fine arts degree awarded to a student. Three hundred graduates traveled to Miami to participate in the event. The structure was completed in 1986 by the Steed-Hammond-Paul architecture practice. The major performance spaces in the Center for the Performing Arts are the theater and the recital hall, holding a capacity of 400 seats and 150 seats respectively. These performance spaces are complemented by a full music library and a 2 floor listening center seating between 170 and 250, all with individual listening units for educational purposes. The center was designed with ample studio and rehearsal space, boasting 22 office studio rooms and 76 individual rehearsal rooms. A rehearsal space for a full band or orchestra accompanies these study spaces.