The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) has selected Cordogan, Clark & Assoc., Inc. as the preferred architectural design firm for the renovation and construction of the Lincoln Developmental Center in Logan County. CDB will oversee the project's design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects.

Through Governor Pritzker's bipartisan capital plan, the first in nearly a decade, the Department of Juvenile Justice will receive nearly $21.1M. The administration has released $2.5 million to begin designing the project which will remodel two cottages for housing juveniles, plus one cottage for new classrooms and one cottage for new administrative use. The project will also include designing and constructing a new multipurpose building, which will include a gymnasium, classrooms, and office space. The mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP/FP) systems will be upgraded. A new athletic field, outdoor basketball court, sidewalks, roadway improvements, and new site security fencing and electronic systems will be installed.

"Thanks to funding from the Rebuild Illinois bipartisan capital plan, justice-involved youth will soon enjoy the benefits of a new residential center as part of DJJ's 21st Century Illinois Transformational Model. For too long, juvenile-justice facilities housed youths in large, warehouse-style facilities, far away from their friends, families, and communities," said Governor JB Pritzker. "I look forward to the completion of these new facilities at Lincoln that will better serve youth in care and offer supportive services to help children navigate the hardships of their adolescence."

"CDB looks forward to working with Cordogan, Clark & Associates Incorporated and Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice to deliver the project on time. When completed, Lincoln Developmental Center will be a model for building youth skills through vocational training to equip them to be successful in the workforce," said CDB Executive Director Jim Underwood.

The new facility is a key element of the 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model announced by the Pritzker Administration last year. The new model's purpose is to reduce the harm of incarceration by keeping kids close to home and engaged with family and community. Once completed, youth in the Lincoln facility will receive restorative and rehabilitative services in developmentally appropriate, dormitory style residential facilities that are integrated into the community and closer to their families. The proposed Illinois Youth Center Lincoln will start the important shift from IDJJ's lingering legacy of adult corrections to a more restorative, rehabilitative, and trauma-informed model that is designed to foster healthy youth development.

"IDJJ is grateful to have incredible partners working alongside us to bring the 21st Century Illinois Transformation model to life," said Heidi Mueller, Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. "While IYC Lincoln is just one aspect of the transformation, it is a significant step toward a trauma-informed, close to home IDJJ. With the impressive experience of Cordogan & Clark, collaboration and guidance from the Capital Development Board, and the unwavering support from the Pritzker Administration and the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative, we are poised to reduce the harm of incarceration for youth from Central Illinois and invest in the services and supports for Central Illinois communities that will help these youth grow into healthy, safe and productive adults."

"Today's announcement of an architectural design firm for the new Illinois Youth Center in Lincoln is an important step in giving those in the juvenile justice system the opportunity needed for their development. As a former juvenile probation officer, I know firsthand how difficult it can be for families to not have a nearby facility to house their loved ones," said State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason). "Converting the former Lincoln Developmental Center for this purpose should result in more positive outcomes for those housed in the facility, as well as providing them the education and mentorship needed in their maturation.

"I appreciate the State of Illinois for this commitment to families of central Illinois, giving them a facility to house youths in the juvenile justice system. I have sought to repurpose the former Lincoln Development Center for some time, and I'm thankful we're moving forward in such an innovative and cost-effective way," said State Representative Tim Butler (R-Springfield).

The historic Rebuild Illinois capital plan passed with bipartisan super-majorities and will invest $45 billion in roads, bridges, railways, universities, early childhood centers, and state facilities like the new crime lab and veterans' homes, creating and supporting an estimated 540,000 jobs over the life of the six-year plan and revitalizing local economies across the state. (Text from Illinois.gov website)