Governor Quinn Announces $4.8 Million to Renovate Robinson Center at Chicago State University

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced an investment of $4.8 million to renovate the Robinson Center at Chicago State University (CSU). Funded by his Illinois Jobs Now! construction program, the project is part of Governor Quinn's commitment to creating jobs and driving Illinois' economy forward.

"This work at Chicago State will allow the university to take the first step toward utilizing the Robinson Center as a major one-stop campus facility," Governor Quinn said. "The project will also employ a number of construction workers, which will drive the local economy forward."

The announced funding represents phase one of the project, which will structurally prepare this primary campus building for its future use as a major classroom, community use, lecture and laboratory building. Additional funding will be needed to renovate the interior before it can be used by the university. Phase one includes work on the building's exterior, roofing, windows, doors and mechanical systems. The Illinois Capital Development Board will manage the project. The successful bidders include:

• General construction: Path Construction Company, Inc., Arlington Heights, $3,776,300.
• Heating & air conditioning: Ideal Heating Company, Chicago, $471,111.
• Plumbing: A & H Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc., Elk Grove Village, $187,800.
• Ventilation: Anchor Mechanical, Inc., Chicago, $139,000.
• Asbestos abatement: Colfax Corporation, Chicago, $121,230.
• Electrical: Airport Electric Co., Chicago, $89,680.
• Fire protection: Nelson Fire Protection Co., Rockford, $84,522.

Chicago State University was founded as a teacher training school in Blue Island in 1867. Today, the University is a fully accredited public, urban institution located on 161-picturesque acres in a residential community on Chicago's south side. The University's five colleges—Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Pharmacy—offer 36 undergraduate and 25 graduate and professional degree-granting programs. CSU also offers an interdisciplinary Honors College for students in all areas of study and has a Division of Continuing Education and Nontraditional Degree Programs that offers extension courses, distance learning and not-for-credit programs to the entire Chicago community.

The Chicago State University project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.