|
Lincoln Estates
sees new life after 8 years of abandonment
Send a link to a friend
[March 25, 2010]
Lincoln
Estates, the former Lincoln Developmental
Center, will begin having some activity on
its 103-acre grounds. Although it won't
necessarily bring area jobs, it will ensure
some, and it is an important first step in
the state recognizing the value of this
prime acreage, according to Lincoln Mayor
Keith Snyder. |
 The
Illinois Department of Central Management
Services has stated that the Department of
Corrections would be using some of the
grounds as a warehouse for state surplus
furniture and supplies.
State Sen. Bomke said the decision makes
fiscal sense. "Why would we rent facilities
when we already own a facility with ample
space?" he asked. The senator was alluding
to the current Pana storage facilities that
the state rents at considerable cost while
numerous state-owned buildings on the
Lincoln Estates property sit empty.
The senator says that although he is glad
to see the state exercise some fiscal
responsibility, this does not alter his
efforts to find uses for the property that
would create jobs.
Bomke has been a longtime proponent of
reopening the grounds in some manner,
especially the four 3-year-old, 10-bedroom
homes that have never been used since being
completed under ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
According to the Lincoln mayor,
Correctional Industries will use the
warehouse, next to the power plant, to store
materials and finished products. The
building itself used to be called the
"general store" and is across the railroad
tracks from The Mill.
"Is it a good deal for Lincoln? It's a
great first step for the redevelopment of
the LDC grounds, and any re-tasking of those
grounds is a great step for Lincoln," Snyder
said. "Those grounds have sat vacant since
2002. While the moving of the warehouse from
Pana may not create any new jobs, it will
ensure that a handful of local jobs are
retained to staff the warehouse. And
retention of jobs is always good. There are
currently six jobs at the warehouse in Pana.
That facility is closing. Those six jobs are
now going to be Lincoln jobs."
The mayor also looked at other benefits
from the decision.
"In addition, the state is going to spend
a lot of money rehabbing that building and
getting it fit for use by Correctional
Industries," he continued. "Those dollars
will turn over in our community and help our
local economy. The building is located on a
corner of the grounds. Its use will create
no major difficulties or impediments to any
of the rest of the grounds being utilized by
any other organization. There are still
around 100 acres and over 20 other buildings
available for development. Having new
activity taking place on the grounds will
encourage other organizations to take a
closer look at what the LDC facility could
offer them. I'm happy the state has taken
this first step towards the redevelopment of
the LDC grounds, and I look forward to
further developments in the future."
When Gov. Quinn took office last year,
Bomke, Snyder and Rep. Rich Brauer met with
the governor's office to make sure the new
governor was aware of Lincoln Estates and to
encourage use of the state grounds for
employment opportunities.
Bomke said he said he met again with the
governor's chief of staff a month and a half
ago to try to get something going on using
the dormant group homes.
[to
top of second column] |
Central Management Services has been
conducting a study of the facility and
possible uses, but that report has not been
completed.
The grounds have been the point of
several possible scenarios since being
closed by former Gov. George Ryan amid
controversial claims by Ryan that resident
safety was in doubt.
In 2007, after four new group homes were
built on the northeast section of the
grounds, Blagojevich broke a promise to
Bomke to open the homes, and they have sat
empty ever since.
In 2008, Rep Bill Mitchell proposed using
Lincoln Estates property for veterans homes
and assistance facilities, but that went
nowhere as well.
Other possible uses of the buildings and
grounds that have been proposed include a
residential treatment center for youth
programs and a center for veterans with
Alzheimer's disease.
Although CMS has not said what private
and state services agencies have toured the
grounds, several have.
Snyder had previously remarked that he
was told several groups had looked at the
grounds but that he had not been given any
information as to any progress in finding
suitors for the facility and grounds until
this communication.
Two weeks ago Illinois Republicans sent a
letter to Quinn recommending the state sell
the grounds, which cost an estimated $1
million a year to maintain.
At one time in the early '50s, the
then-named Lincoln State School had 5,000
residents and was the county's largest
employer.
[LDN]
From the LDN archives:
 |
