Former East St. Louis Center facility faces sale or demolition
Zach Groves, News Reporter
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: News
In 2004, then-mayor Carl Officer declined to buy the building from SIUE, but decided to keep it intact when first approached about demolishing it.
Walker said if SIUE does not get a buyer, it will have to tear the building down.
"In the event that no individual or organization steps forward and buys the building for a dollar, then the state has no choice but to begin demolition proceedings," Walker said.
Retired Assistant to the Director of the East St. Louis Center Maggie Rodgers said she has a lot of fond memories in her 28 years working in the building with a close-knit atmosphere.
"All our programs operated out of there and we operated very closely as a family," Rodgers said. "(Now) we have better facilities, but our programs are spread out amongst four or five buildings.
"We don't get to have the bond that we had before working for one common goal, for the people of East St. Louis," Rodgers said.
Former student and alumnus Ashi Smythe said if the building is taken down, then the demolition team is taking down a big piece of his life.
"I practically grew up there; I had been there since the age of five," Smythe said.
"I was close with all of them. People knew me from top to bottom."
He added that not only did his mother work there as a faculty member and his uncle, Theodore Jamison was once the director, but his career and life's work are based on what he learned at that building. He attended dance and choreography classes there from 1978 to 1990, when it was known as the Performing Arts Training Center and later the Katherine Dunham Center for Performing Arts.
"I learned every technique in that building," Smythe said. "And I am patterning my company off what I learned there."
Smythe recently started his company, Atlanta-based Compagnie d.i.a., and said he could not afford to fix the building even if he did buy it from SIUE.
Rodgers said the feeling of community can be restored if either a hotel chain or a business buys the building from SIUE and completely fixes up the place. She admits the building is just too expensive for the university to maintain and renovate it.
"Something needs to be done one way or the other because you have these vandals coming in there and (damaging it)," Rodgers said.
Whether or not the building turns into a hotel or business, Smythe said he hopes the building still remains.
"I just really wish someone would take on that building because of lot of things happened there," Smythe said.
Regardless of the outcome, Rodgers said she will miss the time she spent working inside the now-vacant building.
"All I can say is it was a great experience working there," Rodgers said. "I loved working there."
Walker said if SIUE does not get a buyer, it will have to tear the building down.
"In the event that no individual or organization steps forward and buys the building for a dollar, then the state has no choice but to begin demolition proceedings," Walker said.
Retired Assistant to the Director of the East St. Louis Center Maggie Rodgers said she has a lot of fond memories in her 28 years working in the building with a close-knit atmosphere.
"All our programs operated out of there and we operated very closely as a family," Rodgers said. "(Now) we have better facilities, but our programs are spread out amongst four or five buildings.
"We don't get to have the bond that we had before working for one common goal, for the people of East St. Louis," Rodgers said.
Former student and alumnus Ashi Smythe said if the building is taken down, then the demolition team is taking down a big piece of his life.
"I practically grew up there; I had been there since the age of five," Smythe said.
"I was close with all of them. People knew me from top to bottom."
He added that not only did his mother work there as a faculty member and his uncle, Theodore Jamison was once the director, but his career and life's work are based on what he learned at that building. He attended dance and choreography classes there from 1978 to 1990, when it was known as the Performing Arts Training Center and later the Katherine Dunham Center for Performing Arts.
"I learned every technique in that building," Smythe said. "And I am patterning my company off what I learned there."
Smythe recently started his company, Atlanta-based Compagnie d.i.a., and said he could not afford to fix the building even if he did buy it from SIUE.
Rodgers said the feeling of community can be restored if either a hotel chain or a business buys the building from SIUE and completely fixes up the place. She admits the building is just too expensive for the university to maintain and renovate it.
"Something needs to be done one way or the other because you have these vandals coming in there and (damaging it)," Rodgers said.
Whether or not the building turns into a hotel or business, Smythe said he hopes the building still remains.
"I just really wish someone would take on that building because of lot of things happened there," Smythe said.
Regardless of the outcome, Rodgers said she will miss the time she spent working inside the now-vacant building.
"All I can say is it was a great experience working there," Rodgers said. "I loved working there."
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Elise A.
posted 2/08/07 @ 9:22 AM CST
Who do you even contact about buying the building?
James Drummond
posted 4/09/07 @ 10:48 AM CST
I would like to know if the Former East St. Louis Center facility is still for sale and who do I contact?
Alonzo Hodges
posted 3/21/09 @ 11:31 AM CST
I wanted to know if the building was still on the market for a dollar and who would I have to contact to get more information
Free Russian Single
posted 3/24/09 @ 4:10 AM CST
This is a fantastic article! But, either I'm blind, or you son't seem to have much information
Redenbaugh Grunder
posted 6/21/09 @ 2:50 AM CST
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
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