MACOMB, ILL. -- Illinois governor Pat Quinn was in Macomb Tuesday morning to break ground on a new project on the campus of Western Illinois University.
The governor was on site at 10:00 a.m. and announced what his office is calling, "A capital investment in that will support higher education and create jobs in Western Illinois."
Click here for information regarding the project.
Governor Pat Quinn says this is one of
the largest university construction projects in the Governor's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, and construction work is expected to create approximately 400 jobs.
It has been talked about for over a decade and on Tuesday Illinois governor Pat Quinn and Western Illinois University president Dr. Al Goldfarb broke ground on the university's new performing arts center.
The $68 million dollar project will create about 400 construction jobs and hopefully be open for concerts and performances by 2014.
It's something that W.I.U. President Al Goldfarb wanted to see built before he retired as university president. And on Tuesday, he got the next best thing, the groundbreaking for a new multi million dollar performing arts center. Goldfarb said when he was named president of W-I-U back in 2002, that was at the top of his priority list of projects to get done. After years and years of discussion and lobbying, that dream finally became a reality.
"It's an amazing day for the campus. We have not had a state funded facility on this campus in 30 years. And so I'm very excited about the fact that we will now have a major state funded facility and one that this community has been asking for since the 1970's and it's a community and university project," said Goldfarb.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn was on hand to help break ground for the new center. The governor said that the new center will be an economic engine not just for Macomb, but for all of Western Illinois. An economic boost to provide jobs and economic development.
"Building a good school and a good university and having a facility like the performing arts center. Should not only help the students and all those who work here and educate here. It's really good for the whole community, the family of Western Illinois," said Quinn
The center will include a 1,400 seat theatre, dressing and rehearsal rooms and two smaller stages. All this as W.I.U. applauds the first new state funded building on the Macomb campus since 1970.
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