Restoration of the Illinois Executive Mansion is underway in Springfield and First Lady Diana Rauner celebrated with a ground breaking on Friday. The mansion is undergoing a major renovation, all funding by private donations. Mrs. Rauner is spearheading the effort, saying it’s in desperate need of a tune up.
Renovations will balance historic preservation with making the building energy efficient and ADA compliant. Work is expected to take about a year and be done in time for the state’s bicentennial celebration. About 14 million of the 15 million dollars needed for the project has been raised so far.