The New Monarch Youth Center in Lincoln, Illinois Sets New Standard for Youth Rehabilitation

The recently completed Monarch Youth Center in Lincoln, Illinois is a transformative project for youth services in central Illinois designed in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, the Illinois Capital Development Board, and local stakeholders. the Monarch Center focuses on learning, growth and healing. It’s part of a plan to use smaller regional facilities to rehabilitate young adults in the state’s care.

This new facility marks a key step in the State of Illinois’s 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model, shifting juvenile services toward a more restorative, rehabilitative, and trauma-informed approach.

By repurposing the former Lincoln Developmental Center site, the Monarch Youth Center brings justice-involved youth closer to family, support networks, and their community - an intentional departure from distant, institutionalized models.

Design & Program Highlights :

• The facility is designed to house an average of 30 youth in dormitory-style residential settings.
• Beyond shelter, the center offers high school education, vocational training (in areas such as culinary arts, music, and construction), and wraparound support to help youth build life and job skills.
• The architectural design emphasizes flexibility, dignity, natural light, and human-scaled spaces — ensuring safety while fostering growth and respect.
• Landscaping, circulation, and interior planning support both security needs and a humane, therapeutic environment.
• The project is sustainably designed and LEED Silver Certified.

Impact & Community Significance :

• Construction created nearly 90 local job opportunities, supporting the local economy and ensuring community investment in the project.
• The center is part of a broader state-wide shift to keep youth closer to home, allowing for stronger family engagement, more consistent rehabilitative services, and better long-term outcomes.
• Cordogan Clark approached this project as an opportunity to create a supportive environment for education and career training that advances youth development and social justice.

We are committed to designing spaces that serve communities, support healing, and enable transformation. We look forward to seeing the positive outcomes this center will bring to Lincoln and the broader central Illinois region.