Concert hall loses $1 million grant

A $1 million state contribution to North Central College's concert hall and fine arts center got the ax Thursday.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the state budget but vetoed nearly $500 million in what he considered "pork" and other "nonessential" projects, including a contribution to the $29.2 million state-of-the-art facility currently under construction in Naperville.

"Some of the projects lawmakers included in the budget had little, if anything, to do with the mission of state government," Justin DeJong, the governor's budget spokesman said in an e-mail. "Others, like this one, may serve a purpose for a particular community or organization, but we can't afford to spend taxpayer dollars on them right now."

Located at Ellsworth Street and Chicago Avenue, the 57,000-square-foot facility will feature a 605-seat concert hall with world-class acoustics, a 150-seat black box experimental theater, a dance studio, rehearsal space and an art gallery.

The college has raised nearly $25 million from private donations thus far and needs to raise an additional $5 million for the project.

"Having a million of that $5 million designated would have been very helpful ... (but) it's not going to stop the project," said Rick Spencer, vice president for institutional advancement.

State Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican who pushed to include funding for the fine arts center in the budget, said no other city of Naperville's size and stature is without a similar facility. He will try to include money for the project in the state's capital spending appropriations this fall.

"It's not unreasonable, since all of the local school children, civic clubs and surrounding public will over the next 100 years benefit from this facility, including increased sales taxes in the vibrant downtown Naperville, that the state of Illinois … contribute $1 million to this educational and economic development project," he said.

In the meantime, Spencer said the school will have to continue to rely on the generosity of alumni and community members.

The college recently secured $350,000 from Park National Bank in honor of John Case, owner and president of Agrinetics Inc. The choir loft in the facility will be named after Case, who is a trustee of both the bank and college.

North Central also received a $1 million grant this summer from the Kresge Foundation because it was able to raise $7 million in a 16-month period.

Naming opportunities are still available for the black box theater and stage of the concert hall. The facility is due to be complete in summer 2008.

Interested donors can call (630) 637-5211.