Governor Pritzker’s $100 Million Fund for New Residence Halls

Illinois governor JB Pritzker approved of a proposed $100 million capital allocation to rebuild IMSA’s residential halls in his FY27 budget. Though the budget is not finalized and must be approved by the General Assembly in May, it marks the largest proposed state investment for IMSA. The Acronym talked to IMSA’s President, Dr. Evan Glazer, to gain more insight into this possible investment.

The residence halls are known to have some problems. There are frequent maintenance requests due to various issues, such as a broken faucet, broken shower head, etc. The halls were built with wood frames, drywall interiors and without insulation, and they have endured significant decay. They were also built on poor soils that were either not compacted or compacted with improper stone. Many rooms have sagging drywall ceilings and major cracks, especially in 1506 and 1507. The flooring was installed without moisture mitigation, which caused carpets and vinyl flooring to peel up. 1501 to 1505 had major water infiltration issues, and in 2014, fire suppression system pipes burst in the winter, causing significant damage to the interior and exterior of two residence halls. Many of the issues have been addressed, however, there are still many issues that need to be fixed.

Advocacy for this proposal occurred over many years, which, according to Dr. Glazer, predated his tenure. To get it approved, IMSA had frequent conversations with the governor’s office and elected officials. These people would be invited to visit the halls and would listen to parent and administration concerns to identify funding. Dr. Glazer believed that replacing the halls was IMSA’s greatest need because it would provide IMSA “a pathway for a sustainable future.” Students are planned to be able to provide insight for the new designs. Dr. Glazer said, “once the funding and fundraising is completed, an architect will engage students and IMSA staff with some design charrettes.” By gaining student and staff input, the new buildings will meet their needs better. Along with the new residential halls, similar investments have been made to the main building, such as a more secure front lobby, new exterior doors, and a brand new roof, though these funds came from available operational funds.

The residence halls have an anticipated expiration date of 2033, and new facilities will be built instead of renovating the old ones. Dr. Glazer stated that “the current ones can’t be renovated because their infrastructure is made from materials that were not intended to last the test of time,” so as of now, they can no longer be upgraded. Dr. Glazer anticipates that IMSA actually needs $120 million, so he is looking towards fundraising, writing grants, or potentially rescaling the project. The support from the governor has helped IMSA take a major step forward, and if the proposal is approved in late May, the next phase of the planning process for new residence halls will begin. Some conceptual drawings have already been made, but until next year, when an architect is requested, no buildings are official.