Overhaul planned for auditorium at University of Minnesota

News release: The University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved an almost $81 million overhaul of the Northrop building that will upgrade its auditorium and increase space for academics. Work on the 82-year-old building in Minneapolis will begin this month. It will reopen in 2013. The historic auditorium will get state-of-the art acoustics, better sight lines, more technology and updated amenities, including a cafe. The remodeled building also will house the University Honors Program for gifted undergraduates and the Institute for Advanced Study for collaboration among scholars and artists.