Ryan: $855,000 in Illinois FIRST Projects for Quincy and Southwestern Illinois

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan announced today that he is releasing $855,000 in Illinois FIRST funding for projects in Quincy and Southwestern Illinois, including $500,000 to South Central Mass Transit to acquire land and construct an office building at the corner of Locust and Broadway Streets in Centralia.

The new building will allow citizens of Marion, Clinton, Washington, Franklin and Jefferson counties access to various modes of transportation in a single facility. The building will also serve as a conference and employment training center. This project is part of the redevelopment plan for the town center of Centralia.

This Illinois FIRST project was initiated by State Rep. Kurt M. Granberg, D-Carlyle.

Other Illinois FIRST grants announced by Ryan:

• $250,000 to St. Clair County to help construct an addition to a senior center at 201 N. Church in Belleville for the expansion of services it receives through Southwestern Illinois College.
  This project was initiated by State Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr., D-Belleville.

• $50,000 to Belleville Township to help construct an addition to a senior center at 201 N. Church in Belleville for the expansion of services it receives through Southwestern Illinois College.
  This project was initiated by State Rep. Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville.

• $40,000 to St. Clair County to help construct an addition to a senior center at 201 N. Church in Belleville for the expansion of services it receives through Southwestern Illinois College.
  This project was initiated by Holbrook.

• $10,000 to the Greenville Chamber of Commerce to purchase regular and holiday/Christmas television advertisement slots to promote Greenville as a great place to visit and shop.
  This project was initiated by State Sen. Frank C. Watson, R-Greenville.

• $5,000 to Quincy Area Projects to purchase computers and equipment for the Jefferson Youth Center computer lab.
  This project was initiated by State Rep. Art Tenhouse, R-Liberty.

Illinois FIRST funds are not part of the state budget's General Revenue Fund. Recently, lagging tax collections brought on by a slowdown in the national economy and the terrorist attacks of September 11 have forced the governor to order spending cuts in the General Revenue Fund that amount to less than 2 percent of total spending. Illinois FIRST monies are derived from separate accounts in the state budget -- the Road Fund and the Fund for Illinois Future -- as well as through the sale of state bonds.