Elgin Armory to get makeover
Efforts to modernize the Elgin Armory will get a boost from federal stimulus funds.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster will announce Friday that $933,000 of stimulus money will help renovate the 71-year-old facility on Raymond Street.
The planned work includes a revamp of the building's basic structure, along with repairs and updates to its exterior walls and interior heating, cooling and water systems.
The armory also is one of nine Illinois National Guard readiness centers to receive stimulus funds earmarked for defense department facilities. Earlier this week Sen. Dick Durbin announced the armory would receive $625,000 from that pool.
Foster's announcement is expected to applaud the use of the stimulus funds to help create local construction jobs during the current economic downturn. The Geneva Democrat will discuss the use of stimulus funds at 12:45 p.m. Friday at the armory.
In recent years the Elgin Armory has been a gathering place for families to say goodbye to loved ones deploying to Afghanistan.