Illinois taxpayers are once again being left to ask what they received for tens of millions of dollars in state spending after a new Auditor General report examined the University of Illinois’ Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and an abandoned headquarters project in Chicago.
According to the audit, the State directly provided $49.7 million to DPI, including approximately $37.9 million spent on its planned headquarters at The 78 development. Construction began in September 2024, but just weeks later, University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen decided to abandon plans for the headquarters.
The headquarters was part of a larger initiative backed by $500 million in state capital funding and promoted as an investment that would help drive innovation, research, entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic development throughout Illinois.
Questions about DPI’s direction were also being raised internally shortly before the headquarters was abandoned. According to the audit, the Dean of the Grainger College of Engineering warned that not having an “intellectually-driven focus” presented a significant risk to DPI’s future. University officials told auditors those concerns did not drive the decision and said President Killeen ultimately made the call to change course.
Senator Plummer says Illinois families work too hard for their money to see tens of millions of taxpayer dollars poured into projects that ultimately fall apart. He says taxpayers deserve a clear explanation of how the project reached this point, why it was allowed to proceed as far as it did, and what safeguards are being put in place to prevent similar situations in the future.
The findings come as other recent state audits have raised questions about the management and oversight of taxpayer dollars throughout Illinois government. Senate Republicans say the repeated findings should concern every taxpayer, particularly as Governor Pritzker and the Democratic Supermajority continue approving record levels of state spending.
The Legislative Audit Commission is expected to review the findings, with the co-chair of the Commission calling on University President Killeen to attend and answer questions.