Chambana Sun

Illinois Republican State Sen. Chapin Rose announced the transfer of the Lawrenceville armory to the city in a June 30 news release. Ownership will revert to the state if the city decides at any time that they don't want to own the armory in the future.

“This building is a symbol of the service and sacrifices of the brave heroes who trained there to defend our country, When the city expressed interest in taking over the facility, I was honored to work to make this happen in the Senate, so that this building can continue to serve the people of Lawrenceville into the future," Rose said, according to a press release issued on June 30.

House Bill 1920 was sponsored by Rose in the Senate, and by Rep. Adam Niemerg and Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit in the House, according to the Illinois General Assembly's bill status page. It was first brought up in the House and moved to the Senate on March 27. The bill was sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker to sign on June 9, and was approved and signed into law on June 30. The bill authorized the Illinois Department of Military Affairs to convey the armory to the City of Lawrenceville and went into effect when the governor signed it, according to the Illinois General Assembly’s page for the bill itself.

“The City of Lawrenceville is looking forward to transitioning the Armory to a recreational facility that will benefit all of our citizens. We are grateful to Senator Rose for his leadership in making this possible," Lawrenceville Mayor David Courtney said, according to the June 30 news release.

The Daily Record reported in March 2022 that the Lawrenceville Armory was slated to close, and in January of that year, the city of Lawrenceville was given the opportunity to take over the building. The agreement between the city and state says, according to the Daily Record’s report, that the city is not allowed to transfer or sell the property. If they decide the building doesn’t suit their needs, it must be returned to state control.

Rose represents the people of the 51st Senate District and has done so since January 2013. His previous governmental experience includes a decade in the House of Representatives, according to his website bio. He is the minority spokesperson for the Appropriations- Education Committee, and a member of the Insurance, Judiciary and Transportation committees, according to his official biography on his Senate web page. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, with an emphasis in economics, from the University of Illinois, and attended the University of Illinois College of Law. He was a Senior Assistant State’s Attorney in Champaign County.