SPRINGFIELD – A new law facilitating the transfer of the West Frankfort Armory property to the city has been signed into law, thanks to legislation sponsored by a delegation of Southern Illinois lawmakers.

House Bill 1672 allows the Department of Military Affairs to transfer the property and building known as the Armory Building in West Frankfort to the City once it is vacated and the operations move to Marion.

House Republican Floor Leader State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) expressed his gratitude to his legislative colleagues and to local leaders who helped craft and advocate for the passing of the legislation.

“With this legislation, the City of West Frankfort will acquire the armory and be able to make the best use of the property, potentially as a civic center. I am happy to have worked with my fellow Southern Illinois legislators to earn unanimous support for this initiative,” Rep. Windhorst said. “I will continue to represent the best interests of the citizens of West Frankfort and all of the cities and villages in the 117th district.”

State Representative Patrick Windhorst joined with State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) and fellow Southern Illinois Republican legislators Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) and State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) to earn unanimous support for the proposal when it came before the House and Senate earlier this year.

State Senator Dale Fowler was the Chief Sponsor of the legislation in the Illinois Senate. Fowler says this legislation will breathe new life into the soon-to-be-vacated facility.

“This legislation was intended to revitalize the facility and provide West Frankfort with a valuable resource for the community,” said Sen. Fowler. “With this transfer, the Armory can be repurposed to meet local needs and drive community development.”

State Representative Dave Severin says he previously worked on this issue when he was the 117th district State Representative. Severin joined Windhorst as a chief co-sponsor on the measure.

“I want to thank Rep. Windhorst and all of my House and Senate colleagues for recognizing the need for this legislation, and I want to congratulate the city of West Frankfort for their efforts to lobby their lawmakers and achieve this transfer,” Rep. Severin said. “This law gives control back to the local government entity and reflects a collaborative effort to assist Franklin County, a county that is represented by two state representatives and two state senators.”

Sen. Bryant, who represents northern portions of Franklin County, supported the measure in the Senate.

“This legislation grants the City of West Frankfort a pivotal opportunity to repurpose and transform the Armory property into a crucial asset for future generations,” said Sen. Bryant. “I am grateful to my colleagues for their cooperation and efforts to make this transfer possible, and I look forward to seeing the positive changes it will bring to West Frankfort.”

House Bill 1672 passed both the House and Senate unanimously earlier this year and was signed into law on July 19.