The nonprofit Hoogland Center for the Arts hosts multiple arts and civic organizations in its 80,000-square-foot building. The century-plus-old structure was originally built as a Scottish Rite Temple in 1909, expanded in 1960, and underwent major renovations in 2003 to open its doors to its residents as a community arts center. Tens of thousands of people pass through HCFTA’s doors annually to attend ticketed performances or civic events.
“We’ve taken significant steps in maintaining and improving our building over the past few years,” said HCFTA executive director Gus Gordon. Those include maintenance, repairs, renovations and technology upgrades. “With the help of a very generous donor, we completed crucial repairs to our roof, ensuring its longevity for another 20 years. Our previous roof, which had been in place for over 20 years, was in desperate need of repair. Our insurance company informed us that we had to address the situation or be penalized with higher rates.
“Safety and accessibility remained top priorities for us,” Gordon added. Safety rails were added around the balconies of both the Peggy Ryder Theatre and Ballet Studio. “We have audience members and students who utilize the balconies in both those spaces, and we wanted to ensure their safety while in our building. And in 2023, we added accessibility buttons to the doors of all of the public bathrooms in the building, making the building easier to navigate for all of our guests.”
The dance studio floor was refurbished as the previous floor was installed in 2003 and was sagging and cracking in spots, creating potential risk to performers. Gordon said these dance floors have a typical lifespan of 10 to 15 years, so the improvement was overdue. The new Marley dance floor is a type of vinyl surface that offers durability, slip resistance and just the right amount of cushioning, making it ideal for various dance styles.
During 2023-2024, the building was rewired for internet and Wi-Fi with new wiring, hardware and wireless access points. “Reliable internet makes it possible for us to book more corporate events like meetings and workshops during the day,” said Gordon.
Events such as those are important to the organization’s finances. In 2024, monthly expenses averaged close to $77,000 per month, according to HCFTA’s impact report, which did not include the big building projects. “These different projects were very expensive,” said Gordon, “and we would not have been able to accomplish any of them without the help of our supporters and grants.
“The roof project cost $150,000, and the dance floor renovation cost over $50,000,” Gordon continued. “The funding for both projects came to us from a very kind couple who wish to remain anonymous.”
The railing cost of $15,250 was funded through the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln’s community grant program and a grant from the Ryder Family Fund administered through the CFLL. The $64,000 wiring project was paid for by a Rebuild Illinois Grant and completed by two local companies.
“Everyone who uses the building, including our performers, resident organizations and patrons benefit from these improvements,” Gordon said. “The roof project, the dance floor replacement and the addition of safety rails in the balconies make the building safer and more user-friendly for everyone that comes into our facility. The upgrade in wiring and internet service makes us more attractive to businesses who wish to find a downtown location with the proper technical and audio/visual infrastructure to hold workshops, meetings and seminars.”
Gordon said the organization just updated its wish list, which includes lighting upgrades for three theatrical spaces. “We have a few modern LED lights, but most of our instruments are still incandescent fixtures,” he said. “By upgrading to LED theatrical lights, we will improve the quality of our lights and reduce our energy costs at the same time. These intelligent lights will make it much easier for the lighting designers to light plays and musicals. The lights will be able to be controlled remotely, so the technicians don’t have to risk climbing ladders to great heights to change the position of these instruments. The total cost to update these fixtures will be close to $215,000. We have our needs prioritized, so we will tackle each room one at a time as funds become available.”
The building’s two passenger elevators are also targeted for modernization, a project that is scheduled to start toward the end of summer. “KONE Elevators & Escalators of Springfield will be handling the upgrades that will make both elevators compliant with modern day regulations. We are so grateful to the city of Springfield and all the donors who have contributed to this project,” he said. The city allocated $190,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds toward the cost of the elevator upgrades.
Gordon added, “All of these needed repairs and upgrades ensure that the Hoogland Center for the Arts will meet the technical, artistic and accessibility needs of all who use the building in the years to come.”
This article appears in SBJ August 2025.