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WIU President Emeritus Alvin Goldfarb signs the Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts' final structural beam before it is raised into place
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The Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts' final structural beam is raised into place at the top of the stage house roof.
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Executive Vice President of Operations at River City Construction Andy Cook and College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean BIlly Clow address the crowd.
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Goldfarb Center Topping Out Celebrated

July 18, 2024

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MACOMB, IL - - Construction on the Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts (GCPA) reached a new milestone today, as the final structural beam was raised into place earlier this morning. The occasion marks the completion of the Goldfarb Center's frame.

The significant milestone was celebrated with a "Topping Out" ceremony led by Executive Vice President of Operations at River City Construction Andy Cook, the general contractor for the project.

"River City Construction and our team of subcontractor and trade labor partners are excited to celebrate this significant project milestone with the WIU community. The topping out ceremony is the culmination of many months of hard work, as the team has safely erected over 1,500 tons of structural steel frame for this incredible facility," Cook said.

Cook was joined by Western Illinois University administrators, Goldfarb Center leadership donors and Macomb community leaders for the ceremony. Also present for the event were WIU President Emeritus Alvin Goldfarb and his wife Elaine, for whom the building is named. Attendees signed the beam before it was raised into place at the top of the stage house roof, over 90 feet above the ground floor.

"I have had a front-row seat to the Goldfarb Center's progress from my office window. It is breathtaking to watch these construction professionals raising this building literally from the earth, on a daily basis. Watching that final beam set into place is a truly substantial moment as we work toward our grand opening," Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication Billy Clow said.

Funding for the Goldfarb Center is made possible through Governor JB Pritzker's historic bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts is approximately 45% complete and is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) is overseeing the project's design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects.

"Since the passage of Rebuild Illinois, we've made significant strides in improving public infrastructure – and we are not leaving our students behind," Governor Pritzker said. "For nearly 50 years, Western waited for the state government to fund a new facility, and now, with a historic $119 million investment, the Goldfarb Center stands as a beacon of opportunity for our students to explore their passions and achieve their full potential. With its completion, the Center embodies our commitment to providing students across Illinois with exceptional spaces to learn, grow and thrive."

Goldfarb Center construction began in September of 2022. The 100,000-square-foot building will include classrooms, offices, practice rooms, studios and performance spaces. The Great Hall, a 900-seat Proscenium Theatre, will provide an ultramodern performance space for music, theatre and dance productions, as well as regional and national touring performances, while the smaller Black Box theatre will provide a more intimate space for campus productions.

"The ‘Topping Out' event marks a significant construction milestone and is one step closer to creating a space that supports academic collaboration, creativity and unique learning opportunities for WIU students and the Macomb community," CDB Executive Director TJ Edwards said.

To follow construction updates and learn more about the Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts, visit wiu.edu/gcpa.

Posted By: Drew Donahoo (AM-Donahoo@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing