City Breaks Ground on the Raclin Murphy Encore Center, Phase 2 of the Morris 100 Project

September 17, 2024

Today, the City of South Bend along with state legislators, council members and donors hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for the Raclin Murphy Encore Center, a new addition to the Morris Performing Arts Center. This is the second phase of the Morris 100 project with the first phase involving major renovations to the interior of the current venue.

"As the largest capital campaign and investment into our beloved Morris Performing Arts Center, the Morris 100 project marks an exciting milestone for our city," said Mayor James Mueller. "The addition of the Raclin Murphy Encore Center will enrich the arts in our community and provide a new vibrant space for generations to come. I am grateful to our partners, community leaders, philanthropists, and state officials for dreaming big and working together to provide the necessary resources to make this dream a reality."

The Raclin Murphy Encore Center will be a 20,000-square-foot expansion of the Morris Performing Arts Center. Situated between the Morris and the LaSalle Apartments, the new building will provide additional lobby space and include:

• Additional support of existing events with restrooms, pre-function space, and better circulation
• Space for additional events like weddings, meetings, classes, specialty events
• Support and spaces for the Equity in the Arts program through Venues Parks & Arts

The Board of Public Works awarded Phase 2 of the construction project to Larson-Danielson Construction for $15,202,000 following a public bidding process. The total project cost is $16.7 million, funded through private donations and the READI 1.0 grant.

"Today, we ignite a new chapter for our city's arts scene," said Executive Director of Venues Parks & Arts, Jordan Gathers. "This expansion will transform the Morris Performing Arts Center, improving visitor experience, with enhanced amenities, and supporting a broader range of events and programming. We thank all our donors and allies, whose contributions drive our vision and mission forward. Together, we are committed to making the Morris a beacon of cultural excellence for the next 100 years."

In 2020, a group of dedicated volunteers, along with representatives from the City, began what would be the biggest capital campaign in the Center's history to raise $30 million dollars to ensure the Morris remained a vital part of our community for years to come.

The Morris 100 project also known as "The Neverending Encore", includes 3 phases. Phase 1, totaling $10M, was completed in September 2022, and included renovations for new seating, carpeting, roofing, repainted handrails, boiler and pump replacements, HVAC, LED lighting, and new fire alarm system.

Phase 2 is currently underway and is expected to take about 16 months to complete. Shows and other events will continue to take place at the Morris during the construction.

Phase 3 is the construction of an attached garage and is expected to begin in 2026.

To learn more about the Morris 100 project, please visit morris100.org

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.