Sen. Doris Turner is optimistic about the benefits of reconstructing the Springfield State Armory. | Doris Turner/Facebook
Sen. Doris Turner is optimistic about the benefits of reconstructing the Springfield State Armory. | Doris Turner/Facebook
A planned $122 million renovation of the State Armory Building in Springfield would be a boon and “transformative for the capital,” state Sen. Doris Turner said in a release.
The state is planning to revitalize the building at 2nd Street that is home to historical moments, including a speech from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 about democracy and justice at the AFL-CIO convention.
“My hometown is full of historic moments, and I believe the speech Martin Luther King, Jr. gave at the Armory during the AFL-CIO convention in 1965 is one that definitely deserves this recognition,” Turner (D-Carlinville) said in an April 8 release. “This facility is not just a part of history but also holds tremendous potential for the future of downtown Springfield, and I eagerly await its future reuse.”
Turner and Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) also jointly introduced a resolution honoring King’s 1965 speech that calls for placing a bronze plaque with select quotes at the armory also to recognize the building’s historical significance.
To move the project forward, the state released $12.2 million to start the design and stabilization phase of the $122 million revitalization effort that the Illinois Capital Development Board will oversee, with designs done by Tilton, Kelly + Bell.
The armory building has been vacant for more than a decade.
The project passed the state Senate in a 53-0 vote.
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