Sangamon Sun

Planned reconstruction of the State Armory Building in Springfield is getting underway with the design contract awarded. 

The building on Monroe and 2nd Street has been abandoned since 2008. Sen. Doris Turner (D-Carlinville) said the building's reconstruction could transform the state's capital.

"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 said in an April 9 Facebook post. "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."

The $122 million project will be overseen by the Capital Development Board, which said April 6, it hired Tilton, Kelly + Bell to create the architectural design. The state has also released $12.2 million in the project's fund for the design and building stabilization efforts.

As part of the reconstruction, the Senate will consider a resolution to add a bronze plaque with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1965 speech to the building to commemorate where he spoke about justice, democracy and organizational progress at the AFL-CIO convention.

Last month, Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and Turner introduced a Senate Resolution to add the plaque to the building reconstruction plans.