Macon Reporter

The reconstruction of a long-standing state armory building in downtown Springfield could be beneficial for the area, a state senator said earlier this month. 

Sen. Doris Turner's (D-Carlinville) comments came in an April 8 where she also described the $122 million State Armory Building reconstruction project as being "transformative for the capital." 

There is also an effort to memorialize Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.'s 1965 speech at the building. 

"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 wrote in a 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."

Turner and Sen. Robert Peters (R-Chicago) also introduced  Senate Resolution 3 to commemorate King’s 1965 speech at the AFL-CIO convention last month.

The legislative proposal reportedly seeks to capture the essential elements of the building's impressive history of the building by placing a bronze plaque with words from Dr. King's address at the renovated facility.

The Capital Development Council of Illinois (CDB) has selected Tilton, Kelly+Bell, as the preferred architectural design firm for the Springfield State Armory building renovation project.