A popular visitor area in southern Illinois is getting a new attraction.
Local officials broke ground this week on an amphitheater project in the Vienna Community Park. It will be named after Vienna's Director of Tourism Phil Morris.
"I think it'll be used year-round, unless the weather is bad. We had remarks when we built this park, 'why do you want to build it in a swamp?' It's not a swamp today. The same with the bike trail, 'who wants to ride a bicycle down a railroad track?' It's now world famous. So, this will be a big part of it."
Senator Dale Fowler obtained $115,000 in grant funds toward the design, engineering, materials and labor costs associated with the development of the amphitheater. The Harrisburg republican says the Phil Morris Amphitheater will be unique because there are no others like it within a 40-mile radius.
The project is expected to be completed by January 2021.
