In 1997, the building was closed to classes because it did not meet fire codes. Funding to renovate Pettee was first proposed in 1992, and finally approved in 1999. On the inside, the building is completely new, but on the outside, Pettee's classic Georgian lines are still intact. There are two new additions, new safety upgrades, and the entire building is ADA compliant. The inside of the building includes seven classrooms, office and laboratory space, seminar rooms equipped with one-way mirrors for research and the Josephine Stearns Conference Room.
Light fills the building through the use of balconies, interior windows and glass-block walls.
The color scheme is cream, terracotta and green with light maple paneling one walls. But a building is not just a building. The students are back. You can hear their voices in the hallways. I'm thrilled to be here.