UT President Jay Hartzell announced the UT Tower will soon undergo a renovation and restoration project during his State of the University address on Sept. 20. 

The plan marks the first renovation on the Tower since its opening in 1937. The $26 million lead investment from the UT System Board of Regents will aid in restoring the historical building, improving the landscaping and updating the observation deck and carillon bells, according to a press release.

“The Tower endures as a beacon for truth seekers, academic excellence and achievement, on the very spot where our first learning community gathered,” Hartzell said during the address. “Soon, the Tower will shine even brighter.”

Designed by French-born architect Paul Cret, the UT Tower was developed to replace the old Main Building and rectify a lack of necessary library space, according to Jim Nicar, director of the UT Heritage Society at the Texas Exes. Originally, construction was not expected to be completed until the 1950s, he said. 

However, as the Great Depression continued and those out-of-work sought jobs, the project received a loan from the Works Progress Administration — a New Deal program that hoped to strengthen America’s economy — speeding up the building process by over a decade, he said.

Grayson Brock, a communication and leadership sophomore, said he studies inside the Tower almost every day and hopes that despite construction, the University will preserve the building’s historical elements and timeless feel.

“I love the whole feeling of it being old,” Brock said. “My parents went to UT, and every time I walk in there, I always think of them because my dad used to study in here, too. … If I came back and if my kids went here, and it looked modern or different, I’d be kind of a little sad.”

Nicar believes the Tower is in definite need of restoration. 

“Look really close on the outside of the Tower — especially in the back,” Nicar said. “You’ll see that in places it’s rusted all the way through. So when it rains, rain or water is literally getting into the Main Building at this point.”

Nicar agreed with Brock that maintaining the Tower’s originality is important, but said that some parts of the famous building may need to be replaced during the renovation. 

“Everything has sort of been rusted,” Nicar said. “So it’s not really a bad thing to replace them if you want to put the Tower, in essence, back the way it was. You’re restoring it.”

According to the press release, the University will provide more updates on the Tower renovations at the upcoming home football game against Texas Christian University on Nov. 12.