IMPACT Strategies recently announced that construction has started on a new $5.3 million facility for Ameren Illinois in Decatur, Illinois.
IMPACT representatives, along with leaders from Ameren Illinois, commemorated the start of construction last month at a groundbreaking ceremony held at the facility’s site located at 2425 N. Woodford Street.
The approximately 12,000-square-foot facility will house Ameren Illinois’ gas control center, which provides real-time monitoring of the utility’s natural gas delivery system. The building will have raised access flooring and will be constructed of steel and cast-in-place structural concrete walls. Particular areas of the building will be Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rated to withstand 250 mph winds.
Upon completion of the facility in May of 2016, approximately 20 full-time Ameren Illinois staff members will be located at the facility.
Ameren Illinois’ gas control center is an around-the-clock operation where highly skilled workers remotely monitor gas transmission and distribution networks in Illinois and Missouri to ensure the safety and reliability of its operations. The center monitors the delivery system for any abnormal operating conditions and takes necessary action to ensure the safety of Ameren Illinois’ customers and the public.