Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans Office Building in Coles Business Park

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Published on May 24 2019 11:15 am
Last Updated on May 24 2019 11:16 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Blue Cross Blue Shield has plans for construction of an office building in Coles Centre Business Park at Illinois Route 16 and Lerna Road just east of Mattoon.

The insurance provider has a location in Mattoon, but is looking at a significant expansion. The building could accommodate 300 staff members.

Agracel, Incorporated of Effingham owns the site for the project. Agracel President Dean Bingham Friday said the Blue Cross Blue Shield building is one of three potential projects for the business park. Bingham said one of the other projects is a medical clinic that should be finalized within the next few months. He said the third project can't be publicly discussed now, but could go before the Mattoon City Council soon. 

The Blue Cross Blue Shield project is contingent on approval of grant requests, but there also will be significant private capital involved. Bingham said the facility will be a two-story, 50,000 square foot building, saying it will involve "a lot of glass and other neat features." He also said Community Development Block Grant funds being requested will help finance street extensions to reach the Blue Cross Blue Shield building.

Bingham gave a posthumous salute to Dick Lumpkin, longtime head of Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company for his efforts to make the site of the development available. He said it's bittersweet that things are starting to move at the location and Lumpkin, who died in recent weeks, won't be around to see it.