It's been a symbol of the Thomson's fortunes for years. The super max prison has been sitting vacant, waiting for lawmakers to decide its future.

On Saturday morning, some of those lawmakers met with federal officials to help build their case with the Obama administration. Senators Dick Durbin and Tom Harkin along with Rep. Bruce Braley and others toured the facility, inspecting everything from the cells to the outer fences.

Lawmakers say they are optimistic about the prison's chances.

"It's not final obviously," says Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin. "We're still in the competition. I think it's ours to lose. We really have the best offer on the table but the final decision has yet to be made by the administration."

The Obama Administration is not expected to make a decision until sometime next year. Thomson is competing with prisons in Colorado and Montana.