Illinois State to receive $9.6M to repair arts buildings

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - Illinois State University is to receive $9.6 million in state money to pay for emergency repairs to its fine arts buildings.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports former Gov. Bruce Rauner released the funds. ISU media relations director Eric Jome says the money will be used for heating, air conditioning, ventilation work and plumbing repairs. Jome called the funding "a nice end-of-term infusion."

ISU has been waiting a decade for nearly $62 million in state money to tear down the school's Center for the Visual Arts and Centennial West and build a facility next to Centennial East, where the School of Music and other arts facilities are located. Centennial East would undergo extensive renovations under that project.

Jome says the school remains hopeful for that money to be released.

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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com