Governor Quinn Announces Investment to Improve Danville's David S. Palmer Arena

DANVILLE - Governor Pat Quinn today announced an $850,000 capital investment to modernize and expand the David S. Palmer Arena in Danville. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"The Palmer Arena draws events and visitors from around the country and is key to the continued economic development of the Danville area," Governor Quinn said. "These improvements will ensure the facility remains an important landmark for years to come, creating jobs and driving the local economy."

The investment from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to the David S. Palmer Arena is a critical part of the $1 million Palmer Arena expansion.

Funds for the Palmer Arena will support a number of long overdue maintenance projects, including roof and air conditioning system repairs, as well as the renovation of the existing banquet facilities, locker room upgrades, energy efficiency and technology upgrades and the addition of space. The project will help the arena stay competitive with other regional venues and continue to be a positive economic development force for eastern Illinois.

"We are elated that these funds have been made available," Palmer Arena Director Peter Blackmon said. "The activity here has continued to increase and this funding will help the facility catch up and modernize. We are grateful to all the effort it has taken over the years to make this happen."

"The Arena is a staple of our downtown corridor, and activities hosted there also infuse revenue in area restaurants, retail stores, hotels and other recreational and tourism activities," Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said. "The arena is an economic development catalyst for many entities in our central core, and these funds will help revitalize the downtown by expanding the Arena's usefulness and lifespan."

The Danville Civic Center opened in 1980 and was later named for Mayor David S. Palmer, who was instrumental in its development. The Palmer Arena has hosted numerous concerts, performances, conventions and special events through the years.

"The investments we are making to improve the Danville Civic Center are important to promoting economic development in Danville," State Senator Michael Frerichs (D-Champaign) said. "The additional activity we will generate with an improved facility will entice new attractions and patrons from across the region."

The Palmer Arena funding 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 capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.