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Capital Bill Provides Money for Construction of WIU's Performing Arts Center and Riverfront Campus

Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill July 13 for Illinois Jobs Now!, a jobs and capital construction plan, which provides money for constructing Western Illinois University's Performing Arts Center in Macomb and for the WIU-Quad Cities Riverfront Campus in Moline. Capital renewal projects were also funded for WIU-Macomb.

"We are so pleased to have a capital budget that allows for the construction of the Performing Arts Center in Macomb and the construction of the WIU-Quad Cities Riverfront Campus. The capital funding also allows us to address long-term deferred maintenance issues on the Macomb campus," said WIU President Al Goldfarb.

WIU-Macomb will receive $67.8 million to construct the Performing Arts Center and $3.2 million for capital renewal, which includes deferred maintenance, such as classroom modernization, improving HVAC systems, enhancing plumbing and electrical distribution systems as well as campus utility infrastructure planning.

According to COFAC Dean Paul Kreider, Pelli Clarke Pelli (New Haven, CT) will begin finalizing the construction documents in the near future, and COFAC is anticipating breaking ground next summer (2010). After 30 months of construction, the new Performing Arts Center will open, Kreider added.

WIU-Quad Cities will receive $15.8 million for phase I of renovation and construction of Building 1 at the Riverfront Campus and $42 million for phase II (Building 2). The first building will support the College of Business and Technology, academic and student services and University administration. Phase II will allow for the continued growth of the Quad Cities campus and enable existing academic programs in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Services and Fine Arts and Communication to be part of the Riverfront Campus.

According to Joe Rives, vice president of the Quad Cities, planning and technology, University funds will be used to cover the culvert by Building I, which will expedite construction to less than two years for Building 1 once funds are released. In addition, the University will simultaneously complete phase II architectural and engineering planning, so construction can begin as soon as possible.

"We are so thankful to our local and regional legislators, businesses and supporters, the General Assembly and the governor. With everyone’s support our dreams are now becoming reality, and we will soon be announcing a ground breaking and other new initiatives for WIU-Quad Cities as well as WIU-Macomb," Goldfarb said.
 

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