MARION, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker joined state and local leaders Thursday to break ground on the Oasis Outdoors Sports Complex, a 500,000-square-foot development that will become the largest powersports complex in the country upon completion.
The event, held at the site of the former Illinois Star Centre mall, brought together business partners and government officials for the start of construction on the project. The public-private development is being led by Oasis Outdoors LLC and financed in part through the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds Act.
Speakers included Pritzker, Marion Mayor Mike Absher, Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards, state Sen. Dale Fowler of Harrisburg, and Millennium Destination Development owner Rodney Cabaness.
Mayor Absher emphasized the importance of collaboration between the city and state agencies.
“They truly helped us unlock this opportunity for our entire region. We are excited to be Illinois’ first STAR Bond project and for the growth we will soon see,” Absher said. “This is an incredible opportunity for Southern Illinois and we’re grateful to the development team for choosing Marion.”
Earlier this year, the Marion City Council approved $112 million in STAR bond financing. The city had previously been designated a STAR Bond District under the Innovation Development and Economy Act. The STAR Bonds Act allows local governments to capture future sales tax revenues to help fund large-scale retail, entertainment and tourism projects.
Pritzker said the project is a model for community investment and long-term economic growth.
“Marion’s STAR Bond project — a bold plan to turn an old shopping mall into a world-class entertainment destination — leverages public financing to create good jobs, bring in tourism dollars, and spur additional investment,” he said. “The economic potential is endless — which is why I’m working with the General Assembly to expand STAR Bonds to other municipalities across the state.”
Following the ceremony, Pritzker stayed for a brief Q&A session. The Volunteer asked what the state plans to do in response to recent federal cuts to school-based mental health services.
“The answer is, there’s been a whole lot of across-the-board cuts that are affecting families in Illinois — and not just in Illinois but across the country unfortunately,” Pritzker said. “So we’re doing the best that we can to try to progress that, but you all know that about 30 to 40 percent of funding that comes to the state of Illinois, to pay for programs in Illinois, comes from the federal government — and so when a lot of that gets cut, it’s very hard for the state to replace it because the numbers are just huge.”
Earlier this month, the White House announced plans to reduce staffing and funding at the U.S. Department of Education, including a proposed $1 billion cut to school-based mental health programs.
“We understand that when you’re talking about mental health how important that is,” Pritzker added. “So we have state programs that are addressing mental health among our young people, where the budget is tight like it is everywhere else in the country. But I can guarantee you that this is top of mind for all of us, in particular the General Assembly over the next couple of weeks while we work hard to get a balanced budget passed.”
Pritzker continued his visit to Southern Illinois later Thursday with an appearance in Carbondale.
