SPRINGFIELD - High bidders with deep pockets could own several state properties that Illinois officials are trying to auction off to find millions of dollars for the state budget.

Some have historic significance, like the former Illinois State Police District 6 headquarters on Route 66 near Pontiac and the now-closed Joliet Correctional Center, which was featured in "The Blues Brothers" movie and the television show "Prison Break."

Others have development potential, like 24 acres of riverfront property in Chicago.

No matter how different the properties are, the point of selling each of them is the same: Get money for a tight state budget.

Becky Carroll, a spokeswoman for the governor's budget office, says the plan could reap $5 million this year. She says if the sales don't go through or don't raise the full amount, the loss won't be a major setback in a budget that projects $46 billion in income.

"Every number in the budget is ultimately an estimate," she said.

If the auctions happen soon or not, the property will remain designated as surplus. Before hitting the market, each piece of surplus property is offered to other state agencies or local governments.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, hopes the old state police headquarters doesn't end up in the hands of someone who wants to tear it down.

The key is finding the right group with enough money for the long-term maintenance of a museum or similar attraction. Lore has it that the building is shaped like a gun, and some local leaders hope a buyer will eventually turn the place into a museum.

"What organization can make sure the lawn is mowed and the roof isn't leaking?" he said.

Central Management Services spokesman Justin DeJong said hoped-for prices of the properties range from the low thousands to the millions, but he wouldn't disclose individual numbers.

Sites for sale

Following is a list of surplus, state-owned properties expected to hit the auction block soon:

• The former Illinois State Police headquarters in Pontiac.

• The former Ed Jenison work camp in Paris. The 20-acre, six-building site used to hold 80 inmates.

• A former mine rescue station in LaSalle.

• About 11 acres of Department of Transportation property in Cahokia.

• About 24 acres along the Chicago River, another transportation site

• Joliet Correctional Center.

• A former youth center in the west Chicago suburb of St. Charles.

SOURCE: Central Management Services; Compiled by Mike Riopell