By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – After three years of construction, officials at the University of Missouri-St. Louis cut the ribbon on a new $52 million performing arts center Tuesday.
The state picked up three-quarters of the building's cost. The rest came from private donors.
It's named for former chancellor Blanche Touhill and features two state-of-the-art theaters. Touhill says the building is a special honor for her.
"I separate myself from the personal Blanche Touhill and the institutional Blanche Touhill," she said. "And I know that the institutional performing arts center will go on for years and years and years, but the personal Blanche will go on to other things."
Tap dancer Savion Glover and comedian George Wallace will perform at the center's opening concert Saturday.