Pssst! Want to buy a building?

A multi-million dollar performing arts space is an unlikely priority for a university best-known for its business school.

But when donors offer to pay for it, Penn tries not to say "no."

University officials say the new Platt Student Performing Arts House was a high priority, though Penn is not known for its high volume of performing-arts degrees.

Penn, like most universities, works hard to fit its priorities with the interests of alumni.

Penn alumnus Marc Platt said that he and his wife Julie, an alumna, had told Penn officials that they "were contemplating that we would give a large gift at some point to the university, if the right opportunity arose."

Platt - a major player in the entertainment world, currently on location in London for his production of Wicked - said that when the University eventually approached him with the idea for the center, he thought the idea "was great."

Although the Platts and the administration were on the same page, not all alumni are.

Donors are often full of ideas about the direction their alma mater should take.

But even if the projects they want to pay for are not high on the University's agenda, "you don't turn someone away," said John Zeller, Penn's vice president for development and alumni relations.

When alumni express interest in giving, they are directed to an existing list of priorities, Zeller said.

Many of the new buildings on campus - such as Fisher-Bennett Hall - are the result of collaboration between alumni and development officials, Zeller said.

Sometimes it's less of a collaboration.

With building projects, alumni input can range from a hands-off approach to attempts to take over an entire construction project, said Rae Goldsmith, spokeswoman for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, an advocacy group. She said she had heard stories of donors who demanded specific architects or the right to choose faculty for an endowed professorship.

Lucky for Penn, the Platts were willing to give money to something that had been in the works for a few years, said Ty Furman, Penn's director of performing arts.

Furman developed the original proposal for the performing arts center in 1999, but it only gained momentum after the Platts expressed interest.

"We wouldn't be where we are in the timeline of the project without the Platts," Furman said. "We'd probably still be seeking donors."

The project did involve other contributors - the Platts gave $1 million of the $2.5 million cost - but as the major donor, they were given naming privileges.

Zeller said that the donation amount needed to get a named building varies depending on the project's scope and cost.

Once funds were secure, Furman said, University planners, architects and the Platts worked together during the design process.

In fiscal year 2007 so far, Penn has received 11 donations exceeding $1 million, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

The Platt situation was a dream for Penn - a donor's undergraduate and postgraduate experiences influenced how they wanted to spend their money.

And the University is counting on today's students to be the Platts of tomorrow.

"We talk about thinking of [current] students as potential alumni," Goldsmith said. "Down the road this [experience] will translate into affection, which translates into funding."

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