University of Illinois buys building in downtown Springfield for Innovation Center

The University of Illinois has bought a building in downtown Springfield where it plans to house the UIS Innovation Center.

The university paid $950,000 to the Illinois Sheriffs Association for the three-story, 26,400-square-foot building, reports The State Journal-Register.

The UIS Innovation Center will be designed to provide a hub for technology, business, policy and workforce development.

The Innovate Springfield program is now housed on the Old State Capitol plaza.

The new facility will be part of the Illinois Innovation Network, a university-sponsored program that has plans to build 15 facilities across the state with a focus on bolstering the state's economy.

The facility is scheduled to open in January 2025.