SPRINGFIELD – Designs set to begin on the reconstruction of the long-in-disuse State Armory Building at Monroe and 2nd Street in Springfield, State Senator Doris Turner said the eventual return of the facility could be transformative for the 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,” said Turner. “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.”

Late last month, Senator Robert Peters and Turner introduced a Senate Resolution to commemorate King’s 1965 speech, in which he spoke about justice, democracy, and  organizational progress at the AFL-CIO convention Senate Joint Resolution 3 seeks to capture the essence of the building's impressive history by placing a bronze plaque at the renovated facility with words from Dr. King’s speech.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) announced its selection of Tilton, Kelly + Bell, as the preferred architectural design firm for the renovation of the State Armory Building in Springfield. CDB will oversee the $122 million project’s design and construction. The administration has already released $12.2 million to begin the design and stabilization of the building which has sat abandoned since 2008.

The first phase of reconstructing the Illinois State Armory will include inspections and assessing its existing condition.

SJR 3 passed the Senate 53-0.