State Representative Amy Elik (R - Fosterburg)DOWNSTATE ILLINOIS – The Capital Development Board (CDB) today announced over $46 million in investments are moving forward to improve and renovate various state agency buildings in the state’s southern regions and $339,800 is going to Alton Mental Health Center. The project includes replacing and expanding the existing duress system. Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County will receive $6,966,500.

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State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D - Glen Carbon)The Jersey project includes upgrading the water supply system to the park by connecting to the Jersey County Rural Water District or upgrading and fully staffing the existing water plant after determining the cost/benefit of each option. Also included is replacing the deteriorated water distribution system throughout the park.

The funding will help address deferred maintenance projects at state agencies that have been stalled due to a lack of investment by previous administrations.

“As a member of the House Appropriations - Human Services Committee, I know too well the needs of our mental and behavioral health facilities across the state. This investment to the Alton Mental Health Center will further enhance the safety of both residents and staff members, and I appreciate the Rebuild Illinois capital plan providing the tools needed for these centers to safely carry out their mission," said State Representative Amy Elik (R - Fosterburg).

“The Alton Mental Health Center has been providing inpatient mental and behavioral health services for more than a century, and with this investment, Illinois is working to accommodate the center’s transitional needs. By releasing this funding, our state is prioritizing safety for all those living and working in the facility,” said State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D - Glen Carbon).

Sen. Jason Plummer"When hard-working Illinoisans' tax dollars are being spent by the state, I do what I can to make sure they are spent effectively, efficiently, and that there is a return on that investment. The Centralia Correctional Center and the Murray Development Center are major facilities for both Clinton and Marion County. These investments will improve public safety, assist our corrections officers, and shows a continued commitment to some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans," said State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville).

The historic Rebuild Illinois capital plan passed with bipartisan super-majorities and will invest $45 billion in roads, bridges, railways, universities, early childhood centers, and state facilities like the new crime lab and veterans’ homes, creating, and supporting an estimated 540,000 jobs over the life of the six-year plan and revitalizing local economies across the state.

Other State Funding:

St. Clair County

Southwestern Correctional Center - $1,860,900: The project includes replacing the fire alarm and CCTV systems throughout the facility.

“As member of the Senate Criminal Law Committee, and a former probation officer, I understand the logistics of these correctional centers and the need for fully functioning life safety devices. I'm very appreciative Illinois is properly maintaining the facilities that host hundreds of inmates and staff on any given day," said State Senator Christopher Belt (D - Cahokia).

“Today's release of funding to the Southwestern Correction Center will enhance the safety and security for inmates and the staff. The Rebuild Illinois capital program was a historic bipartisan effort to preserve our assets across the state, and this is yet another example to the long-term investments we're all committed to," said State Representative Jay Hoffman (D - Swansea).

“The Southwestern Correctional Center is an important facility for the local families of inmates and is a major employer of the Metro East region. It's critically important that we continue to give the staff and inmates of these centers the tools needed for their success, and I'm thankful we're doing exactly that," said State Representative LaToya Greenwood (D - East St. Louis).

Governor Pritzker said the funding is made possible by the bipartisan capital plan, the first in nearly a decade, the renovation work will create jobs and economic opportunities for residents in the surrounding communities. CDB will oversee the projects’ renovation under the protocol for state-appropriated capital projects.

“When I took office, I promised to make real investments in communities across the state and to dedicate funding to projects that improve the lives of Illinois residents. Through the Rebuild Illinois bipartisan capital plan, the first in nearly a decade, communities are finally receiving the support for long-overdue projects that were neglected under prior administrations,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am pleased to announce over $46 million in funding for deferred maintenance projects across southern Illinois. The funding will go towards the repair and upkeep of community institutions while creating job opportunities for local residents.”

“We are proud of the investment the State of Illinois is making in the restoration of these important facilities,” said CDB Executive Director Jim Underwood. “Governor Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan is essential to upgrading and improving facilities throughout the state.”

“On behalf of the Southwestern Illinois Council of Mayors, we are excited to see the continued investment into Southwestern Illinois. The additional $46 million being committed by the state to improvements of public facilities, that have been in need across our communities,” said Mark T. Kupsky, President of Southwestern Illinois Council of Mayors.

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Counties Outside The Region With Funding:

Clinton County

Centralia Correctional Center - $3,215,000: The project includes replacing the fire alarm system throughout the facility.

Crawford County

Robinson Correctional Center - $257,600: The project includes replacing the water softeners in the housing units, healthcare, laundry, and dietary buildings.

Johnson County

Cache River State Natural Area - $739,000: The project includes removing and replacing approximately 16,000 square feet of roofing in the Wetlands Center, which has a cedar shake roof that has reached the end of its lifespan. The project also includes repairing copper gutters and adding new guttering.

Shawnee Correctional Center - $1,584,700: The project includes replacing the water heater serving the segregation and receiving housing units at the Administration Building and the water heaters in the four-cell houses.

Vienna Correctional Center - $6,000,000: The scope of work provides for replacing the main substation with a utility-owned substation, replacing the medium voltage cabling, and sectionalizing switches and transformers throughout the facility.

Lawrence County

Lawrence Correctional Center - $584,600: The project includes removing and replacing the headworks of the sanitary sewer system. The new system will have the ability to remove solids from the sewer, wash and compress those solids, and dispose of them in a dumpster. The work also includes providing a building over the headworks to protect the equipment from the elements, all the while providing for code required electrical and ventilating requirements.

Lawrence Correctional Center - $264,400: The project includes installing water softeners to service domestic water heaters in two buildings.

Morgan County

Illinois School for the Deaf - Jacksonville, - $1,739,100: The project includes replacing approximately 53,700 square feet of roofing on three buildings. The work includes sheet metal, membrane, insulation, and all necessary accessories.

Perry County

Du Quoin Work Camp - $585,100: The project includes removing and replacing approximately 14,000 square feet of standing seam roofing and removing and replacing the gutters and downspouts.

Randolph County

Chester Mental Health Center - $1,027,400: The project includes providing a new CCTV system including operating software, cameras in the areas where patients have access, servers, and storage hardware updates.

Menard Correctional Center - $21,249,200: The project includes replacing the 4160-volt primary electrical distribution system at this facility. The work includes all new primary medium voltage cabling underground and overhead, from the point of supply by the serving utility to the step-down transformers supplying the facility. The work also includes new substations, medium voltage switching units, and medium voltage transformers.

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