Governor JB Pritzker and other leaders officially grounded the National Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) on the Macomb campus of Western Illinois University. River City Construction, LLC of Peoria, Illinois was selected as the general contractor and construction was recently started.
The 100,000 square foot building will include:
- Classrooms
- Offices
- Practice rooms
- Studios
- Performance spaces
- 900 seat Proscenium Theater
DYIFO.com states that the Great Hall provides an ultra-modern performance space for music, theatrical and dance productions, as well as regional and national touring performances. Small black box theaters offer a more intimate space for campus productions.
The project is part of Governor JB Pritzker's bipartisan Rebuilt Illinois capital plan. The Capital Development Board oversees the design and construction of projects in accordance with state-assigned project protocols.
"Our Illinois Recapitalization Plan isn't just about our roads and bridges, it's about our university. After nearly 50 years, we are thrilled that Western Illinois University will receive state funding for the construction of a performing arts center that will not only provide WIU students with state-of-the-art performance facilities. Communities in Western Illinois are places to gather and enjoy all that the arts have to offer."
Governor of Illinois | JB Pritzker
Western Illinois University reports that the CPA is the first state-funded building for WIU since the 1970's that will allow the College of Fine Arts and Communication to consolidate into a more centralized location and provide academic and performance opportunities that rival the excellence of Western's programs according to COFAC Dean Billy Clow.
To make up for the increased construction costs, which recently came in at $110 million, the CDB, working with Western, has agreed to leverage some funding from another project on WIU's priority request list. The CPA has been the number one priority on the Western's capital development list since 2006 and has been in some form of planning and/or discussion since December 1972.
"As a central Illinois based contractor, River City Construction (RCC) is thrilled to have been selected to build the new Center for Performing Arts at Western Illinois University. The project is an extension of our longstanding relationship in support of the State of Illinois and the Capital Development Board. Construction of this state-of-the-art facility will have a significant economic impact on our region, and once complete will serve as a regional destination for the performing arts. Construction of such a facility is truly a team effort, and on behalf of our subcontractor and vendor partners, and our skilled labor force, we are excited to get to work with the CDB, Western Illinois University and the Cannon Design team to turn blueprints into reality."
River City Construction Director | Andrew Cook
Cannon Design, Inc. is the architect-of-record overseeing construction and Pelli Clarke Pelli is the architectural design firm. The building is expected to be completed by the fall of 2024.