Carbondale Reporter

State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) visited Rend Lake Resort on Monday, joining officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and other state representatives to review ongoing renovations at the facility. Severin expressed satisfaction with the progress being made toward reopening the resort.

“Crews are hard at work on renovations at Rend Lake Resort, and I am encouraged by the actions being taken by IDNR and the contractors working at the facility,” Severin said. “I set a goal of getting Rend Lake Resort back open to the public, and we are making progress toward that goal every day.”

According to Severin, construction teams are addressing multiple areas of improvement, including installing new walls, flooring, roofing, HVAC systems, a kitchen in the Great Room area, and a laundry room. Conference rooms are undergoing complete renovation. Old wooden decks are being replaced with composite non-slip decking.

“This is an impressive renovation. Quite simply, IDNR is doing this right, and the people of Southern Illinois will eventually have access to a world-class facility where they can gather for special events and make memories that last a lifetime,” Severin said.

Staff from both IDNR and the Illinois Capital Development Board guided Rep. Severin through parts of the project during his visit.

The plan is for IDNR to complete renovations by spring 2026. Afterward, they intend to seek proposals from potential vendors with a goal of reopening both the resort and conference center in 2027.

Severin was elected as a Republican representative for Illinois’ 116th House District in 2023, succeeding David Friess.