A $1 million improvement project at Springfield's historic Symphony Hall will be mostly completed in time for the Sept. 11 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.
The ceremony is usually held at the Hall of Fame, which can accommodate about 1,200 people. With this year's high-profile class that includes Michael Jordan, David Robinson and John Stockton, the event was moved to 97-year-old Symphony Hall, which seats more than 2,600.
Hall director of marketing Tina D'Agostino told The Republican of Springfield that lighting work has been completed, stairwells and ceilings have been repainted, the stage have been restained and the hydraulic lift in the orchestra pit has been repaired.
This year's inductees include coaches Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer.
Also, the Hall of Fame announced Monday it will dedicate a new "Tyler's Court" at William N. DeBerry Elementary School in Springfield on Sept. 10 as part of the enshrinement events. It will be the fourth court made possible by the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation, named for the Springfield native and Columbia basketball player who was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.