Sangamon Auditorium and the UIS Studio Theatre, housed within University of Illinois Springfield’s Public Affairs Center building, will temporarily close starting in June 2025 for an extensive, state-funded, 15-month plumbing improvement project that will address ongoing issues with the facility’s 50-year-old infrastructure. Plans call for the auditorium and theater to reopen following the completion of the project in September 2026.
The UIS Performing Arts Center will remain fully operational between now and June, and scheduled events and performances through May 2025 will proceed as planned. Many of the local arts and education programs through the Performing Arts Center will continue while the Sangamon Auditorium and UIS Studio Theatre are closed for the project.
“We understand the significant role these venues play in our community’s cultural and entertainment life,” said Bryan Rives, director of the UIS Performing Arts Center. “This decision was not made lightly, but it is a necessary investment. We’re committed to ensuring that when Sangamon Auditorium and the UIS Studio Theatre reopen, we will have an outstanding season of quality events for our community to enjoy.”
The Illinois Capital Development Board, which manages all state-funded, non-road construction projects, will evaluate bids for the estimated $5.7 million project, with a successful bidder to be announced in early 2025. Bob Mitchell, the UIS director of construction, said the extensive nature of the project is what prompted the 15-month closure of the auditorium and theater.
“The scope of the project is to replace every line to and from every drinking fountain, sink, toilet and drain,” Mitchell said. “That’s five stories of bathrooms, including the plumbing backstage and in the auditorium dressing rooms, plus the old restaurant areas. A lot of the concrete slab floors will be jackhammered to access the pipes. In order to set the contractors up for success, we need to give them a work space where they’re not worried about the general public coming through.”
Mitchell said the original 50-year-old pipes in the building have recently been showing their age.
“The cast iron pipes are past their service life and we’ve had several significant failures, leaks and blockages,” Mitchell said. “This project will ensure that the Performing Arts Center can continue to operate safely for another 50 years.”
A recently completed, $435,000 construction project replaced the aging roof system on the Public Affairs Center. Henson Robinson Company of Springfield was the successful bidder, and that work took care of a roof that “was past its service life and leaked every time it rained, plus it flopped up and down in the wind,” Mitchell said. He added that additional, unspecified projects may be requested in the future to address the building’s infrastructure needs.
Sarah Brewer, the UIS director of development, assured Friends of UIS Performing Arts Center in a recent communication that “while this work is underway, we are exploring the unique opportunity this pause in operations creates to explore other potential projects that could significantly enhance Sangamon Auditorium,” she said.
“Additionally, we are exploring opportunities to create unique and memorable experiences just for our donors... During this time, our focus will shift more to our education and outreach programs and much needed facility cleaning/maintenance.”
Brewer assured donors that the university is “preparing for a strong reopening for the 2026-2027 season. In the meantime, we have a full and exciting lineup of events planned for this winter and spring,” she said.
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra, which usually presents its concerts in the Performing Arts Center, is making plans to adapt its schedule due to the project.
“We are currently identifying a performance venue in Springfield that will accommodate our audiences, artistic needs and schedule for the upcoming 2025-2026 season,” said ISO executive director Trevor Orthmann. “Music director Taichi Fukumura and I have visited several venues under consideration, and we aim to announce all our venues for our 2025-2026 season within the next two months.”
The UIS Performing Arts Center website’s space request section advises potential users that “Brookens Auditorium and the third-floor atrium will still be open, though noise levels may be unpredictable due to construction. We understand that this may cause inconvenience and disruption to your plans, and we sincerely apologize for any impact this may have on your scheduling.”
Rives, the Performing Arts Center director, said how the university will absorb the loss of event ticket sales revenue during construction “is still being sorted out.”
Meanwhile, UIS Chancellor Janet Gooch encouraged the public to be understanding and patient during the project.
“We recognize that the closure of these two major venues will have a significant impact on the local organizations that call it home,” Gooch said. “We want to thank our community, patrons and partners for their understanding and support during the construction.”
The UIS Performing Arts Center hosts Broadway productions, concerts, comedy, plays, lectures and community events.
