EAST ST. LOUIS — Governor JB Pritzker joined local officials and stakeholders today to celebrate two major openings in the Metro East area. The Governor attended the opening of a new public safety center in Emerson Park Transit Center in East St. Louis, combining public safety with transit operations to better meet the needs of the surrounding area. The Governor also attended a ribbon cutting at the new Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) Manufacturing Training Apprenticeship Building.
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Rebuild Illinois and many other state programs, we’re making the crucial investments that communities like Metro East need to stay safe and build a stronger, more educated community,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Providing young people with the skills for a 21st century career and giving our first responders and Metro East residents a safe landing place are both examples of the best of what government can do when it truly works for the people it serves.”
The 16,000 square foot public safety center includes a 911 Emergency Dispatch Center, office space for St. Clair County MetroLink Sheriff’s Deputies, and public restrooms and a water fountain for transit riders and operators. It will soon also be home to the Metro Transit Operations Control Center. ? Nearly $10 million of the $15 million project came through a Rebuild Illinois grant initially awarded in January 2022.
The $10 million provided by the state is part of more than $200 million made available via Rebuild Illinois to downstate transit agencies through competitive grants administered by IDOT. Other awards have included the purchase of new vehicles as well as the construction of bus shelters, stations and maintenance facilities to expand and improve service, provide more transportation options in communities across the state, and promote an enhanced quality of life. Rebuild Illinois also is providing $98 million to extend MetroLink from near Scott Air Force Base to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.
The building will also feature an expansive dispatch floor with state-of-the-art technology, a conference room, office space, a training area, holding cells, a break room, call center, server room and more. The project expands on efforts to address safety through early intervention, with Chestnut Health Systems launching a program in partnership with the St. Clair County Transit District to help address mental health needs. Care teams already have been deployed to assist riders with mental health and homelessness issues as well as providing recommendations for food and other assistance.
The SWIC Manufacturing Training Academy, first announced by Governor Pritzker in 2021, will offer training in industrial electricity, robotic and automated welding, precision machining concentrations, and EV technologies, among other programs. $7.5 million of the $15 million facility was funded by the State of Illinois through Rebuild Illinois.
The addition of this facility allows SWIC to double potential enrollment numbers, with goals set for 40% of students identifying as people of color and 25% identifying as women – including efforts to recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff. Alongside that, this academy will shape a new curriculum built for a new age of manufacturing, focused on sustainability and emerging industries. Heartland Community College in Normal also opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility this year, providing central Illinois with opportunities for training and education. Illinois was recently ranked #1 in the Midwest for workforce development infrastructure, in part thanks to initiatives like the manufacturing training academies,
“Governor Pritzker has created the transit trifecta at Emerson Park,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. “This project benefits public safety, supports employment opportunities and modernizes our MetroLink facilities – and for that we are very grateful.”
“Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT has advanced transit not just as a mobility option, but as a cornerstone for a community and a foundation to improve quality of life and safety,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “This new, innovative public safety facility will have a far-reaching, positive impact for transit riders and the region alike.”
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