During the 2020-2021 COVID mass-closing years, the activity at the ILEAS Training Center (ITC) dropped off dramatically. However, in 2022 activity has picked up. For example this week the following training and events are taking place at the ITC:
- ILEAS Prairie Voice Comms Exercise 4 Participants at the ITC location
- ILETSB Field Training Officer 20 students
- ILEAS WMD Response Course 30 students
- Urbana Adult Ed. Certified Nursing Assistant 17 Students
- ILEAS EOD Team Commanders Mtg 10 Attendees
- U of I PD K9 Training 3 Students
- Urbana Fire Dept Battalion Chief Assessments 15 Participants
- Champaign Co SO CCSO Explorers 10 Participants
Including staff, instructors and team leaders, there were over 110 people participating in important training and events at the ITC this week. Another nine events are taking place next week involving over 145 people. This includes CNA School, City of Urbana Executive Meeting, Explorers, Communications Liaison Class, K9 Training, Champaign County Search and Rescue Class/Open House and Peer to Peer Investigations.
Since the ILEAS Training Center was opened in June of 2008, there have been:
- 3,429 Training Sessions and Events having taken place
- 71,455 Students and Attendees participating in training
- 433,410 Student Hours spent at the ITC
The General Assembly allocated $3 million to ILEAS to begin a remodeling and expansion project at the ITC. The funds are coming from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the City of Urbana. ILEAS, in concert with Champaign County, plan to do required infrastructure improvements (asbestos abatement/HVAC improvements), Parking lot resurface and expansion, converting two under-used wings into more usable scenario space and improvements to the basement communications storage facility. ILEAS has engaged IGW Architecture to conduct a feasibility study on a potential expansion of adding a larger auditorium, more classroom space, a consolidated warehouse, inclement weather indoor training space and other improvements in the future.
A recent economic survey revealed that ILEAS has had a $41 million dollar impact on the local Champaign/Urbana economy largely from payroll, vendor payments, leases, hotels, contractors, money spent by the 71,000 students that attended training at the ITC, etc. With the proposed expansion, this will increase signficantly.