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Plans in place to spruce up Old State Capitol

Katherine Johnson
/
Wikimedia Commons

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Old State Capitol plaza in Springfield may be getting a bit of a face lift.

There are plans in the works to revitalize the publicly-owned plaza with things like a new walking path, flowerbeds and sitting areas. Downtown Springfield Inc. is also proposing adding things like chessboards and pingpong tables. 

The effort that includes landscaping on the Old State Capitol grounds that is already underway is part of a push by government officials and downtown advocates to get more people to spend time downtown as well as get ready for the state's bicentennial celebration next year. 

A group called Downtown Springfield Inc. hopes that donations and a grant it is applying for will pay for the $30,000 project. 

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.