A once dying mall in Southern Illinois is getting a mighty makeover, thanks to $112M STAR Bonds deal — created by the state and backed by local tax money — but the project has hit a speed bump

A once dying mall in Southern Illinois is getting a mighty makeover, thanks to $112M STAR Bonds deal — created by the state and backed by local tax money — but the project has hit a speed bump

This story is a collaboration between the Illinois Answers Project and Capitol News Illinois. MARION, Ill. — One of three developers entrusted by state and city of Marion officials to oversee a multimillion redevelopment project — a key to the region’s economic health and publicly backed by a $112 million bond deal — was on the verge of being sued for millions of dollars before ground was broken, court records show. Jerry Barrass, an original me…