FRANKLIN COUNTY (WSIL) — The $17.5 million renovation of the Rend Lake Resort in Franklin County will get underway in 2023.
The funding will be used to renovate the conference center, restaurant, cabins, pool, and boatel, which collectively will enable the resort to host lodging guests, conferences, and other visitors and events.
The Resort has set empty after the state terminated a lease agreement back in 2016 after mold was discovered in the hotel and other buildings.
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At the height of its operation, the Resort drew 2.4 million visitors annually and employed up to 125 staff members. It had an estimated economic impact of nearly $245 million in 2010.
The Rend Lake Resort is located at the 3,300-acre Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area and is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on the shore of Rend Lake








