Governor Quinn Announces $12.6 Million Rehabilitation Project for Illinois Supreme Court Building

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pat Quinn today announced that contracts have been awarded for a $12.6 million project to rehabilitate the historic Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield. This Illinois Jobs Now! project will preserve and protect a historic state-owned building while creating jobs and driving Illinois’ economy forward.

“This is the first major renovation work on this historic building in nearly a century,” Governor Quinn said. “This project will protect the state’s investment in this building and ensure that it will serve taxpayers for another hundred years.”

The project will begin June 17. During the one-year construction period the Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the 18th floor courtroom in the Michael A. Bilandic Building at 160 N. LaSalle Street in Chicago. The Springfield office of the Illinois Supreme Court Clerk and other Springfield Supreme Court staff will move to an interim location at the Herndon Building, 421 East Capitol Avenue in Springfield.

The project involves the renovation of offices, storage and work areas and the historic preservation of public spaces, courtrooms, library and support spaces.

Extensive rehabilitation work will be done on the plumbing, electrical, climate control, security, and fire suppression systems, and structural modifications will be made where necessary to accommodate these improvements. The existing exterior windows will be removed and replaced with protective glazing. The east parking lot will also be modified for security and improved traffic circulation.

"My colleagues and I are privileged to work in the Illinois Supreme Court, but the courthouse belongs to the citizens of Illinois," Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride said. "As tenants, we appreciate the state's commitment to maintaining this beautiful building. These renovations will ensure the courthouse continues to be a functional home for the Illinois Supreme Court as well as a connection to Illinois' legal history for generations to come."

The successful low bidders for the project include:

• Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. of Highland, general contract, $7,222,500.
• Henson Robinson Company, Springfield. Ventilation - $1,555,000; heating and air conditioning, $1,240,800; and plumbing, $200,347.
• B & B Electric, Inc., Springfield, electrical, $2,136,000.
• F.J. Murphy & Son, Inc., Springfield, $278,850.

The contracts were recently awarded following a competitive bidding process and address critical infrastructure needs while creating construction jobs. The Capital Development Board will manage the project.

“This project has been designed to meet the highest standards of historic preservation. The Supreme Court Building is a jewel, and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency will work with the court, the architects and the contractors to ensure the building’s historic character is protected and enhanced,” Amy Martin, director of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, said.

The Illinois Supreme Court Building opened in February 1908. It was designed by State A0rchitect W. Carbys Zimmerman, who modeled it after the U.S. Treasury Building in Washington, DC. It features impressive works of art by Albert Krehbiel, who painted 13 murals in the courtrooms; Edgar Cameron Spier, who painted four murals in the Law Library; and Charles Mulligan, who sculpted two statutes at the entrance of the Building. When it opened, the building housed the Supreme Court,  Fourth District Appellate Court, Attorney General’s office, Law Library, and the Supreme Court Clerk.  Currently, the building houses the Supreme Court, Law Library, Clerk, Research Department, and the Marshal’s Office.

This project is part of Governor Quinn’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which is supporting more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.