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Quinn in Macomb for WIU Groundbreaking
The building won't be complete until 2014, but the first phase of construction for a new Performing Arts Center at Western Illinois University began Tuesday with a groundbreaking ceremony.

School officials, local lawmakers, and Governor Pat Quinn were on hand to celebrate the next step in making the long awaited building a reality.

Quinn says the performing arts centers will benefit the area in a number of ways.

"We believe in music, arts, theater, not only for their own sake and it's important that all of us have that in our lives, it helps make us better people, but it's important for our economy. Just building this center will involve literally hundreds of jobs, good hard working men and women will have an opportunity to build something that will be very special, that will last long after we're on this earth."

$67 million was set aside in the capital bill the legislature passed a couple years ago for the building.

It is the largest ongoing project by the state's Capital Development Board, which deals with non-road construction projects.


(An artist's rendering of the new Western Illinois University Performing Arts Center. Graphic courtesy WIU)
04 27 11 by Newsroom
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