MACOMB (WGEM) – Governor J.B. Pritzker joined state and local officials Friday to announce a $119 million investment for the construction of a Center for Performing Arts (CPA) at Western Illinois University.

“It’s been too long since we really invested in modernizing our universities,” Pritzker said.

The 100,000-square-foot building will have classrooms, offices, practice rooms, studios, performance spaces and the Great Hall, which is an 850-seat Proscenium Theatre.

Music therapy student Brianna Congro said having a single space of their own rather than floating around campus in multiple buildings will make for a better learning environment for future students.

“We’ll have lots of practice rooms,” Congro said. “So, we won’t have to keep knocking on doors asking ‘Is your hour up? Can we practice?’”

Performing arts faculty said the most up-to-date modernization will be attractive to aspiring performers with the end goal in mind to increase enrollment.

“We’ve been working on it,” said Fine Arts and Communications Dean Billy Clow. “Working on programming, modifications and as it got delayed we kept having to update the technology and everything and then we get to here today, finally breaking ground and getting ready to go.”

Music therapy senior Grace Anne Prince said she’s sad to miss out on the new center, but will still hang around campus post-graduation.

“Just to see it,” Prince said. “I’m really excited to see the ensembles perform.”

Faculty said they expect the Center for Performing Arts to open in the fall.

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