State funds to help rebuild tornado-damaged Mount Olive City Hall and Police Station

MOUNT OLIVE – Gov. Pat Quinn on Thursday announced a $250,000 investment for the construction of a new city hall and police station in Mount Olive.

The new building will replace the old city hall, which was damaged by a tornado in 2013.

“We are doing everything we can to support communities that are recovering from natural disasters,” Quinn said in a statement. “This investment will help the city of Mount Olive return to normal day-to-day operations in a brand new City Hall.”

The investment will be used in combination with funds from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the city of Mount Olive and insurance proceeds to replace the city hall building that was damaged in the 2013 tornado. In addition to the Mount Olive City Hall, the new building will house the Mount Olive Police Department, the Mount Olive Township office and the Mother Jones Museum. Work on the project will begin this fall.

“We very much appreciate everything the governor and the state of Illinois has done for us and the investment in our new building,” Mayor John Skertich said. “We plan to start building next week, so this investment couldn’t come at a better time.”

The project is part of Governor Quinn’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program.