Macomb, IL – Construction is about to get underway on Western Illinois University's new multicultural center. The groundbreaking ceremony drew a large crowd on a bright and warm early autumn afternoon.
The two-story building will be located right in the heart of campus, near the University Union. As part of Western's pledge to environmental sustainability, "green" standards will be used to construct the buiding, which will include a grass roof. Construction could take 12 to 15 months.
Students agreed to pay a fee to foot the bill for the facility, which will cost an estimated $5,976,620. The Board of Trustees approved bids for the construction work during their September 28 meeting in Macomb.
The building will house the Women's Center, the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, Casa Latina, and the International Friendship Club. There will be offices, lounges, and assembly space. There will also be a dance space and a kitchen.
Associate Vice President for Student Services Earl Bracey oversaw the groundbreaking ceremony. He says the building and its occupants will demonstrate that talking about multicultural issues means talking about the human family. You can listen to an interview with Bracey by clicking on the audio button.
Additional information:
*The Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center is currently located in temporary quarters in the University Services Building. It had been located in a house that had to be demolished for safety purposes.
*Casa Latina is temporarily located in Olson Hall. It had been located in the Auxiliary Services Building, which was also demolished because of building code and ADA-compliance issues.
*The Women's Center is now located in Seal Hall in offices that were not designed to serve its needs and purposes.
*WIU says a new multipurpose cultural center demonstrates institutional and statewide commitments to diversity and promotes individual achievements. It centrally locates programs and services, facilitates resource sharing, and avoids the unnecessary duplication of services and facilities. The new facility and programs will also have close working relationships and proximity with alumni programs and services.