Governor Quinn Announces $2.4 Million Capital Project at Quincy Veterans' Home

QUINCY – September 6, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the awarding of contracts for a $2.4 million construction project at the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy, the latest work to begin under the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

“It is imperative that our Veterans homes serve as safe havens where the men and women who selflessly chose to defend our democracy can get the care they need,” said Governor Quinn. “This project will make the Veterans’ Home at Quincy an even safer, even better place for the men and women who deserve it most.”

“Quincy is the oldest and largest of the four Veterans’ homes that we operate statewide, and its continued maintenance is essential to the safety of our residents and staff,” said Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Dan Grant. “We are grateful that these contracts will not only provide physical improvements to the facility but also construction jobs.”

The project will replace the deteriorated chimney stack and ash handling system at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. The general construction contract worth $2.056 million was awarded to Waterkotte Construction Inc. of Quincy. The heating and air conditioning contract was awarded to Doyle Plumbing and Heating Co. of Jacksonville on their bid of $380,629. The contracts were awarded following a state-mandated competitive bidding process.

The chimney stack, built in 1886, has deteriorated and temporary repairs have reduced its height. The construction project will replace the deteriorated bricks and increase the stack height to meet Environmental Protection Agency emission requirements, and to generate the proper amount of updraft to maintain proper boiler operation. The ash handling system, which removes caustic materials generated by the power plant operation, will also be replaced.

The construction work will be coordinated by the Capital Development Board (CDB), which administers all state-funded, non-road construction projects. The project is expected to create approximately 17 construction jobs. It will begin this fall and be completed by late 2011.

“As a wounded combat Veteran myself, I feel very strongly about the medical care received by our fighting men and women. We will make sure this project helps the Veterans’ Home operate more efficiently,” said CDB Executive Director Jim Riemer.

Opened in 1886, the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy is the state’s flagship Veterans’ home. The Home, often labeled a “city within a city” because of its size, sits on 210 acres and houses 25 buildings on the northern edge of Quincy. More than 450 veterans from 70 of the state’s 102 counties call the facility home.