Lincoln, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes funding to address the long-deteriorating Lincoln Developmental Center, a former state facility on the city’s south side that dates back to 1877 and closed in 2002.

The site, consisting of 100 acres and 27 buildings, is one of five surplus state properties selected for remediation and demolition to make them more attractive for development. State Sen. Sally Turner said she met with Pritzker and his staff to discuss the project, which she described as a priority for the governor.

Turner said the Lincoln site has significant development potential due to its proximity to Interstate 55 and nearby rail access. She believes there is support for the project and will work to ensure funding makes it into the final budget.

Pritzker’s budget proposal includes $500 million for new and existing site readiness programs. Of that, $300 million would fund the new Surplus to Success Program under the Department of Central Management Services. Another $200 million would go to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to expand site readiness efforts and encourage private and public investment in vacant or abandoned properties. An additional $200 million would be allocated to the Capital Development Board for demolishing and remediating non-surplus state properties.

CMS and DCEO also identified the Dwight Correctional Center, H. Douglas Singer Mental Health Center in Rockford, Jacksonville Developmental Center, and a 70-acre portion of the Shapiro Developmental Center property in Kankakee as attractive site development projects.

Local officials have already identified a potential use for part of the Lincoln property. Turner said the city hopes to develop a village of tiny homes for displaced and homeless veterans.

 

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