Illinois Capital Development Board Announces Design Firm for Rebuild Illinois Funded Renovation and Replacement of Altgeld and Illini Halls at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

For Immediate Release – March 18, 2021

URBANA – The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) has engaged with OWP/P Cannon Design Incorporated as the preferred architectural design firm for the renovation of Altgeld Hall and replacement of Illini Hall with a new facility at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. CDB will oversee the project’s design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects.

Through Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan capital plan, the first in nearly a decade, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will receive $140 million, matched by $52 million in non-state funding for a total investment of $192 million This project includes the complete restoration of the existing iconic Altgeld Hall and the replacement of Illini Hall with a new facility in its location for the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics. It will create a significant amount of new space, and the new Illini Hall will be home to a new data science center as part of the Champaign-Urbana Hub of the Illinois Innovation Network. This project includes four related projects located on two project sites.

“Illinois is home to the best universities and research centers in the world and boasts a talented workforce that attracts companies from across the globe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The renovation of Altgeld and the construction of a brand new building to house the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, projects made possible through funding from our historic bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, will further cement the university’s place as a world-class institution that excels in preparing talented students for the careers of tomorrow.”

“This sort of facility improvement has the potential to transform the way teaching and learning occurs by providing new collaborative spaces that enhance the institution’s capacity for innovation,” said CDB Executive Director Jim Underwood.

“The rejuvenation of Altgeld Hall and the reimagined Illini Hall will be cornerstones of the educational experiences for generations of Illinois students to come,” said Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “And the discoveries that will come from these new centers of research will lead to economic growth, new jobs and a competitive advantage for our entire state.”

“The renovation of Altgeld Hall and the new Illini Hall will provide a pair of vital educational hubs at the literal center of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,” University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen said. “These projects are becoming a reality thanks in part to a strong financial commitment from the state and Gov. JB Pritzker, one piece of a broader partnership with the state of Illinois that helps ensure bright futures for our universities.”

“As chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, I know firsthand the needs of the University of Illinois system. This massive $192 million investment in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will preserve the history of the 125-year-old Altgeld Hall, providing for another century of those special memories, while preparing for the future of STEM learning with the construction of Illini Hall, which will serve as the local hub of the Illinois Innovation Network,” said State Senator Scott Bennett. “I thank Gov. Pritzker for showing his commitment to Illinois’ future through these investments in our education system.”

“The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign educates a majority of the enrollment in the University of Illinois network, and the investment of $192 million will continue to make it the anchor school in the state. As member of the House Appropriations – Higher Education Committee, I frequently hear what resources are needed to keep Illinois competitive in both attracting and producing the best talent possible,” remarked Majority Conference Chairperson, Leader Carol Ammons. “The creation of a new state-of-the-art facility for the Mathematics & Statistics Department will keep Illinois a leader in this field, and I’m thankful to see the needs of higher education being met.”

The historic Rebuild Illinois capital plan passed with bipartisan super-majorities and will invest $45 billion in roads, bridges, railways, universities, early childhood centers, and state facilities like the new crime lab and veterans’ homes, creating and supporting an estimated 540,000 jobs over the life of the six-year plan and revitalizing local economies across the state.