Documents: $3M in Illinois governor's mansion repairs made
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - About $3 million in repairs were made to the Illinois governor's mansion last summer, documents show.
The repairs included patching roof leaks that damaged walls and contributed to black mold, according to documents obtained by The (Springfield) State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1zmeIzj ) through the Freedom of Information Act. An emergency generator was replaced and a valve was installed to prevent recurring flooding.
Another approximately $2.8 million worth of repairs are pending at the Capital Development Board. Those include replacing an outdated elevator and repairing woodwork. But bids for those projects in February 2014 have expired.
"To restart the project, CDB would need to modify the designer's contract so that they could update bidding documents and rebid the project," Lisa Mattingly, board administrator for professional services, wrote in a January email.
The board said in a statement that Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and first lady Diana Rauner plan a comprehensive restoration of the mansion, but no date has been set for completion.
The Rauners have said they would live in the home, and the governor has said they're willing to spend their own money on repairs. Documents obtained by the newspaper also show the Rauner administration is exploring private donations to add to public funds.
The governor's office did not respond to interview requests from the newspaper, but Rauner was asked at a news conference last month whether the mansion was livable.
"That's a subjective term," Rauner said. "I think it's perfectly fine. As I told Diana the other night, it's better than my fraternity house."
Rauner also said it's "really tragic what's happened" to the governor's mansion, calling it "the people's house."
Before the repairs last summer, development board documents show the governor's mansion was at risk of becoming too dangerous for workers and public tours.
"It's just one thing after another," said Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg. "The repairs needed are embarrassing. It's a beautiful home, and it's been totally neglected."
The first governor to live in the mansion was Joel A. Matteson in 1855.
___
Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com