Billy Clow, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Western Illinois University, sees the progress made every day on the Center for Performing Arts being built on the Macomb campus.
“It’s pretty exciting to watch something like this come up literally from a broken up old tennis court and a parking lot that’s now becoming this great building,” said Clow, whose office in Browne Hall overlooks the site.
“On occasion the building shakes a little bit and there’s a fair bit of noise. And it’s all worth it.”
He said construction of the CPA is coming along well. Currently, two big towers rise out of the massive site. Those are the building’s stairwells. You can also see some features of the main theater taking shape.
“You get the sense of how big this building really will be now,” Clow said.
The CPA will include:
- A roughly 900-seat auditorium
- A black box theater that will seat 100 to 200 people, depending on how it’s configured for a particular performance
- Studios, rehearsal space, and performance space for dance
- Rehearsal space for theater
- Jazz studio
- Classrooms
- A VIP room
- A large gallery
- The central box office for the university
Clow said the weather – even during extreme heat this summer – did not slow down construction much, and he anticipated construction crews will continue their work through the winter.
“They’ve done a really good job,” Clow said. “This crew is by far the best group of people I think I’ve ever been associated with in terms of putting up a building.”
The hope is to open the building in the late summer of 2025. No shows or events are scheduled yet. Clow said they’re interested in any and all kinds of arts and entertainment acts in order to appeal to people throughout the region.
He also said the CPA will benefit hotels, restaurants, and other businesses throughout the region.
“The heart of a small town these days is not big corporate businesses because they’re not coming here. We need to build our arts community and strengthen our arts,” he said.
“If we have people come into town to participate in our arts programming and events, it’s just going to expand what opportunity there is in Macomb and help all of us.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the $119 million building was held on October 7, 2022.
You can view a live video feed of the construction project on the COFAC home page.
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