STATE
TO AWARD CONTRACTS FOR FIRST TWO BUILDINGS
AT MANTENO WITHIN 3 WEEKS
ARCHITECT'S
PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE ALL PREPARED; INCLUDES 38 WARD
BUILDINGS FOR PATIENTS; SOME BUILDINGS WILL BE OCCUPIED THIS
WINTER; WILL SPEED WORK
The second step toward starting the construction of the new
state hospital for the insane at Manteno were taken yesterday
when a survey was made by a party of state officials, headed
by Governor Len Small, with a view toward locating some seventy
odd buildings on the 1,000 acre tract which was purchased
this week through transfer of the deeds of the Senesac properties.
It was announced today that plans and specifications for the
new institution are completely drawn and that bids will be
received for the first of two of the 38 ward buildings within
the next three weeks. Governor Small has also insisted that
the cornerstone of the administration building be laid by
Christmas at the latest. Everything possible is being done
to speed up the construction of what promises to be the greatest
of all state institutions and work will continue throughout
the fall and winter months. Some of the buildings will be
occupied before winter is over.
Plans
Are Shown
Included in the party which accompanied Governor Small to
Manteno yesterday were Roy Ide, Director of the Department
of Public Welfare, which has jurisdiction over the 26 institutions
of the state; Leslie C. Small Director of Purchases...clients
and 450 employees... (information missing from photocopy)
Cost
$13,000,000
The institution, when completed, will cost approximately $13,000,000.
The total cost of the buildings alone is placed at $12,616,000.
There has already been over $200,000 paid for the purchase
of the 1,000 acre tract of land with the possibility that
more land may be secured later on which the state now holds
options.
The new institution will be built facing the north and will
front on the new county concrete highway running from Manteno
to Grant Park. It will be adjacent to the new 40-foot concrete
Highway 49 to Chicago - just a stones' throw from the eastern
boundary of the village of Manteno. The main buildings of
the institution and those first to be erected will be on that
part of the land nearest Manteno and will be connected with
the Illinois Central railroad by a spur track.
Estimated
Cost
The following figures, furnished by Architect Lindstrom, are
a reasonably accurate estimate of the cost of the buildings
for the institution: gate house, $10,000; cyclone fence, $20,000;
roads through grounds, $120,000; sidewalks, $16,000; tunnels
and transmission $900,000; sewers and water pipes, $300,000;
lighting system for grounds, $40,000; septic tank and gravel
pit, $45,000; water wells, $40,000; pumps for wells, $18,000;
pump house, $5,000; water tower $12,000; power house $500,000;
landscaping, $30,000; managing officer's residence $40,000;
staff house, $1120,000; two employees' buildings, $800,000;
administration building, $150,000; hospital building, $225,000;
two-receiving ward buildings, $160,000; two infirmary buildings,
$350,00; two tubercular patients' buildings, $160,000; amusement
hall, $100,000; 38 ward buildings, $7,000,000; kitchen building,
$200,000; dining hall, $150,000; store building, $225,000;
mechanical shops, $120, 000; garage, $60,000; laundry and
equipment, $200,000; occupational therapy, $160.000; farm
dormitory, $160,000; dairy barn, $50,000; hog houses, $10,000;
farm house, $10,000; horse barn, $8,000; implement shed, $4000;
pasteurizing plant, $12,000; green houses, $30,000; root cellar,
$10,000; corn cribs, chicken houses, etc., for farm colony,
$40,000.
Items which have not yet been estimated by the architect are
farm fencing, farm drainage, equipment of buildings, farm
machinery, operation repairs and equipment.
The
Cottages
The 38 ward buildings will be built cottage-style and will
be of brick and fireproof construction throughout. They will
be two-story structures and their cost will total $7,000,000.
The unattractive rear view of each building will be concealed
by another cottage which will face on another street. There
will be a special landscape worked out by the architect at
the front gateway where the administration building, hospital,
two receiving buildings, superintendent's residence and physicians'
quarters will be located. These will be the first buildings
constructed and work will start this fall.
Have
Tunnels
All the buildings will be connected with a network of underground
tunnels for the sewers, water pipes and electric conduits.
There will be nearly a mile of these tunnels which will cost
$900,000.
The entire force of the architect's office has been at work
completing the plans because of the urgent need for this institution
in Chicago and vicinity. All of the state institutions are
now overcrowded and handicapped with an excess of patients,
despite the building of new additions which only temporarily
relieve the situation.
The new hospital will be a great thing for the community of
Manteno, both during and after its construction. It will bring
thousands upon thousands of visitors to the village annually,
let alone the prosperity which will naturally follow from
such an institution almost within the corporate limits.
Information
obtained from photocopy of newspaper article on file at the
Manteno Public Library District.
