KEWANEE, Illinois - Union and city leaders say they cannot understand why a modern, efficient facility like the Illinois Youth Center at Kewanee is being shut down.
The decision means the loss of about 240 jobs for the area, and it's a loss that will hit the community hard. It's the kind of job loss that could really change Kewanee.
"Some families, both husband and wife currently work there, and it will definitely present some challenges for them," said Kewanee Rotarian Marshall Jones.
The entire city is concerned about the economic impact of losing so many jobs.
"That's a huge blow to us because they're our friends. They're our neighbors. They shop here. They pay taxes here," said Kewanee City Manager Gary Bradley.
"Unfortunately, what we'll probably see is a lot of good families will have to leave now to work in other communities," said Kewanee Rotarian Dr. Chris Sullens.
The huge community push to save the facility was not enough to sway state officials. Persuasive arguments couldn't change the outcome. Despite committee recommendations, state officials say the closure will go on as planned.
While they understand the need for cuts, many still question the wisdom of eliminating this specific facility in Kewanee.
"If I had five or six of anything, and I wanted to shoot down one or get rid of one, I wouldn't get rid of my newest one...one that's paid for," Jones said.
The IYC-Kewanee is down to about 60 residents and the facility could close by July 1.