Governor Quinn Announces $4 Million Investment to Improve Prairie Capital Convention Center

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pat Quinn today announced a capital investment of $4 million to modernize and expand the Prairie Capital Convention Center (PCCC) in Springfield. Today’s action is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois’ economy forward.

“The Prairie Capital Convention Center draws events and visitors from around the country and is key to the continued economic development of the area,” Governor Quinn said. “These improvements will ensure the center remains competitive for years to come, creating jobs and driving the local economy.”

The $4 million investment from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority (SMEAA) is part of Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program and is a critical part of the $16 million PCCC expansion. The funds will support the north and south vestibule and lobby additions at the PCCC and include the cost of wiring, plumbing, construction materials and excavation. The investment also will help pay for an enlarged main hall, which will house additional restrooms, a food court and office or meeting space. Accessibility improvements will also be made. The project will help the center stay competitive with other regional venues and continue to be a positive economic development force for central Illinois.

“The Prairie Capital Convention Center expansion and remodel project is a great example of what government can accomplish when we work together,” SMEAA Chairman Mike Coffey, Jr. said. “The Convention Center board and staff are extremely grateful for this investment, and this expansion would not have happened without his support.”

“The renovation will be a benefit to retaining current annual conventions and meetings in downtown, and will provide us the opportunity to bring back organizations that have left as well as attract new convention and meeting business,” Springfield Mayor Mike Houston said. “Three national groups have signed contracts to return to Springfield due to the renovations, representing more than 1,000 attendees each. I thank Governor Quinn for this investment and for his support of the Prairie Capital Convention Center.”

The PCCC is a multi-purpose facility that is adaptable to suit a variety of events such as concerts, tradeshows, wrestling, monster trucks, indoor football, ice shows, rodeos and more. It contains 44,000 square feet of column-free space that can accommodate up to 7,700 seats in the Main Hall, and 21,000 square feet of meeting room space in the Lower Level. The original structure was built in 1978 and has been improved several times since. It is the area’s prime venue for entertainment and conventions, and these events have a positive impact on local sales and hotel-motel tax revenues.

“Investing in the convention center, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, has a positive economic impact that reverberates through the community,” State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) said. “These upgrades, along with the major renovations that have already taken place at the center, will open the door to new shows and events.”

“As the state’s capitol city and home to Abraham Lincoln, Springfield is great place to visit,” State Representative Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) said. “By renovating the Prairie Capitol Convention Center, we make our city more attractive as a convention and entertainment destination. This grant will certainly go a long way towards helping us further that cause.”

The PCCC 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.