Federal monies are being earmarked for a new Illinois National Guard complex.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin joined leaders from the Illinois National Guard today to discuss the $10.2 million in federal funding secured through Congressionally Directed Spending in the Fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill.
The funding will be for the construction of a new Base Civil Engineer (BCE) Complex for the 183rd Air National Guard Wing at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield.
Currently, operations for the 183rd Wing are spread across seven separate buildings on sites at opposite ends of the base. Officials say all seven have high operating and maintenance costs with energy inefficient or deteriorating mechanical systems.
Three of the buildings currently fail to meet Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection requirements and two are more than 50 years old and unsuited for the BCE Complex’s mission. The lack of adequate space has led to “split drills” across Wing functions for part of the year, impacting efficiency and readiness.
Durbin says “a new Base Civil Engineer Complex will help ensure that Illinois National Guard troops have the modern, and safe facilities they need to meet their maintenance and preparedness needs. It will also help ensure the 183rd Wing’s future for many years.”
The new facility will consolidate existing needs into a single complex of two buildings to support combat engineer training and the sustainment, maintenance, modernization, and operations of the 183rd Wing and its two primary missions.
The entire complex will provide approximately 24,000 square feet of space for operations. The contract for the work is expected to be awarded later this year and the BCE Complex is expected to open in the Fall of 2024. The existing seven buildings will be demolished.