The State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) has launched a request for proposals for an array of Technical and Project Management expertise for the disposition of the James R. Thompson Center (“JRTC”) at the best value to the State. 

Opened in 1985, the JRTC is a 17-story marble, granite, glass, and steel structure, encompassing approximately 1.2 million sq. ft. of an enclosed area. The building’s steel frame is topped by a cylindrical skylight, 75 ft. above the roof level. The sky-lit rotunda is 160 ft. in diameter and is surrounded by 16 floors of open office space. The main building enclosure system is glazed with single-pane, nonthermally broken aluminum frames. The system is energy inefficient and does not meet current standards for performance or thermal comfort.

Because of prolonged deferred maintenance and delayed capital projects, the construction cost in 2016 was estimated to be over $300 million to bring the building into a good state of repair. The facility is also larger than necessary and costly to operate with annual operating expenses exceeding US$17 million. By divesting of the oversized, outdated and expensive facility, the State can relocate its core services to appropriate replacement spaces. This strategic relocation effort will reduce operating costs and increase productivity.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is on October 4, 2019.