 In his opening remarks, Hutchinson mentioned many individuals and
groups, from college board members to those who arranged the
groundbreaking ceremony. He asked them to stand to be acknowledged
for their efforts in bringing the day to reality. In a lighter
moment when he recognized the faculty and staff, acknowledging that
many have waited a long time for this day, he said it would be all
right to "go ahead and jump up and down.""In moments such as
these, we in positions like mine tend to veer away from reality,"
Hutchinson told the crowd. "I do not exaggerate nor veer from
reality when I say this is the most important building to be built
on this campus in the last century. I do not exaggerate nor veer
from reality when I say this will be the most important new building
on campus for several decades to come."
The new center "will allow us to do things we couldn't do
before," said John Blackburn, Lincoln College board president.
"Lincoln College is really going places." Blackburn also confirmed
what everyone in attendance understood: "History was made today."
The new Lincoln Center will house both an athletic convocation
center and the Lincoln Museum. It is planned that the new center
will become the "heartbeat" of athletic events, campus celebrations,
student activities, community activities and tourist visitation.
"This center is absolutely critical to the future success and
viability of Lincoln College," Hutchinson said. "The arena and
fitness/training center are essential to attract students in an
increasingly competitive environment. The Lincoln Heritage Museum at
last will have a home fitting the importance of their collection."
[to top of second column]
 |
He added that the new center would fulfill many needs, not only for
the college but for the community as well. "The arena and fitness
center will be available to the area's residents, schools and other
groups for special events," he said.
Although the new center will be state-of-the-art and modern in
every respect, the new building will blend into the campus setting.
The detailing at the entrances is an adaptation of the existing
design on University Hall, which was built in 1865 and is the most
significant and historic campus landmark.
Hutchinson made it a point to tell those gathered that naming
rights are still available for some of the center's areas and rooms.
This includes naming rights to the museum for $1,000,000 and the
building itself for $2,000,000.
A complete fact sheet on the Lincoln Center is available below. (Fact sheet)
[Text from
Lincoln College news
release and LDN]
Past related articles
 |
 Project description: The Lincoln Center on the campus of
Lincoln College is a unique two-story athletic and convocation
center that includes the Lincoln Heritage Museum.Location:
On Nicholson Road, north of Heritage North and West residence halls,
on the northeast corner of the Lincoln College campus.
Cost of building: $8.4 million.
Design: The architectural design of the new building, while
modern in every respect, will blend into the campus setting by
having Italianate Victorian style of architecture with attributes
similar to University Hall. The large, new arena will contain
spectator seating for up to 1,400 people. A stage at one end of the
gym completes the usefulness of the gym for nonathletic events, such
as commencement services and performances.
The Lincoln Center (athletics): 42,500 gross square footage
The Lincoln Center will be the focal point for campus
celebrations, community involvement and athletic events. The center
will include a state-of-the-art physical fitness and health facility
for use by students, faculty and community members. The facility
will feature multipurpose athletic courts on the ground level, a
wrestling area on the second floor and several locker rooms for both
indoor and outdoor sports. The entire athletic department will move
to the new building once it's completed.
[to top of second column in this section]
 |
 The Lincoln Center Fitness Center (athletics): 6,170 gross
square footage
The fitness center will be a state-of-the-art health facility
offering Flex and Paramount strengthening equipment; a large,
well-equipped free-weight room, including the new Leverage
equipment; and a cardio-theater room offering a variety of aerobic
equipment to meet most individual needs and interests. There will be
TVs, CD players, cassette tape players, VCRs and a choice of radio
stations, all of which can be watched or listened to on private
headphones.
The Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College: 9,000 gross
square footage
The Lincoln Heritage Museum is a major repository for Lincoln and
period artifacts, including Lincoln's desk from the Illinois
Legislature, a snippet of Lincoln's hair, the nameplate from the
railroad car that bore his coffin, accessories from Mary Todd
Lincoln's mourning clothes and even a bloody ribbon from the night
of the assassination at Ford's Theatre. The collection is valued at
approximately $3 million. The main corridor separating the gym from
the Lincoln Museum will be home to a special Logan County Hall of
Fame, which will further bind the college to the community as it
showcases the achievements of local citizens. The museum also
contains the college's well-known Hall of Presidents, which features
autographs and letters from every president of the United States.
Educational multimedia classroom: 1,972 gross square footage
The Lincoln Center also will provide a state-of-the-art
classroom, with cutting-edge technology, that will seat about 100
students.
Architect and construction management: CORE Construction,
Morton.
[Text from file received from
Lincoln College] |
