Health Facilities Planning Board
approves plan for former Lincoln Developmental Center site

Work may begin soon on four 10-bed units
for people with developmental disabilities         

[OCT. 22, 2004]  CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday that the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board has approved construction of Lincoln Estates, an innovative housing development plan at the former site of the Lincoln Developmental Center. On Thursday the board approved a certificate of need for the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop four 10-bed housing units for people with disabilities.

"The former LDC site, with its 100 acres of wooded land, has so much to offer and is a valuable resource for the Lincoln area and the state," Gov. Blagojevich said. "Our plan is to create a new model of care that will offer something for all sectors of the community and not segregate persons with disabilities. This is certainly not going to be the LDC of the past."

There is $7 million in the fiscal 2005 budget for the Lincoln Estates project. No timeline is set for construction to begin on the homes, which will provide state-operated developmental services for 40 people. The next step is the bidding process, which will begin immediately.

Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Carol L. Adams, Ph.D., formed the Lincoln Developmental Center Task Force in May 2003. The goal of the task force is to build consensus as to what type of services will be provided at the closed state-operated developmental center in Lincoln and what other services could be provided on the LDC campus. Representatives include parents, advocates, elected officials, other state departments and AFSCME.

"This is an important step toward realizing our vision of a disability-friendly setting that reintegrates LDC into the Lincoln community," Adams said. "We can now look forward to tearing down the old LDC and breaking ground on what will be a community with affordable living options, other state services, education and training opportunities, and possibly recreational and cultural programs."

Adams said the task force will continue to meet to finalize details of the master plan and the construction of the housing units.

[News release from the governor's office]