A large donation has been announced for the former South High School, now called the Springfield Center for Innovation.
Musician John Legend has pledged $500,000, and Speedway has pledged another $100,000 to renovate the building’s 700-seat auditorium.
School officials say the donations from Legend and Speedway will be paid over the next two years, and renovations will begin on the auditorium this month. The Springfield City School District owns and operates the building, and the district is matching additional donations up to $1 million for the project.
The high school closed in 2008, when Springfield’s two high schools merged. It re-opened in August 2015 as an education hub that supports students from four school districts, a STEM school, and programs offered by Clark State.
Funding at the time didn’t include money to fix the auditorium. The renovated Auditorium will be renamed The John Legend Theater, and the stage will become the Speedway Stage.
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