SAVANNA, Ill. -- Sitting in the middle of his cavernous complex on the south edge of town, the owner of Poopy's bar and restaurant favors the idea of a federal prison housing suspected terror inmates 10 miles from his town.

"We think it's great because this area really needs something to bring in revenue," said Kevin "Poopy" Promenschenkel, whose establishment also includes a store and tattoo parlor. "There are tons of people interested in working there if it opens."

Thomson Correctional Center remained in the national spotlight Monday as federal officials toured the facility. They are assessing whether the government should purchase the nearly empty maximum-security state prison and use it in part to house some Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The possibility is drawing a variety of opinions in surrounding counties, including many enthusiastic responses to the potential economic impact the change could make in a region grappling with soaring unemployment.

But at least one area congressman decried the plan as creating a safety risk for the region.

Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill.,

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noted the stigma and hatred Guantanamo Bay has elicited from terrorists in the past and voiced his concerns that this perception would transfer to Thomson.

"I believe it will, because 'Gitmo' is not being closed, it's being moved. The generals have advised that the mere existence of Gitmo is a recruiting tool for terrorists around the world," he said, adding that those perceptions may move to Thomson and create a security threat in northwest Illinois.

But former Democratic state Rep. Bob Osterhaus, of Maquoketa, Iowa, said the potential job growth was a positive draw.

"These are decent jobs that pay living wages, and I think that's important. I wouldn't be surprised to see people from our area apply for those jobs and commute," he said.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn estimated the proposal could create up to 3,000 jobs, directly and indirectly.

That would be a major boost for an area struggling with double-digit unemployment percentages, said Russ Simpson, the interim executive director of Tri-County Economic Development Alliance. The group covers Jo Daviess and Carroll counties and much of Whiteside County.

"We'll take jobs," he said. "We simply cannot look opportunities like this in the eye and brush them off because of some characteristics."

Simpson said he is confident that local, state and federal officials can be relied on to address any potential security issues.

"There is never a perfect economic development situation," he said. "There is always the necessity to consider compromises to arrive at the greater good."

Thomson, a Mississippi River town of 450, has been suffering greatly from a lack of jobs, according to The Associated Press, which interviewed citizens there who say young people are leaving and the town's older population is dying off.

Lawmakers said they were told in a briefing by the Pentagon and the Federal Bureau of Prisons that between 450 and 500 new employees would be hired, at salaries of $37,000 to $47,000 per year, if Thomson received Guantanamo detainees, according to the AP.

However, no hiring preference would be given to locals, and new hires must be younger than 37 and must be or become law enforcement officers.

The Thomson prison has been largely vacant since it was built in 2001 because of state budget problems. It has 1,600 cells, but only about 200 minimum-security inmates are held there.

The Obama administration also has considered sending Guantanamo detainees to other locations in the U.S., including the maximum-security prison in Standish, Mich., where many residents also have welcomed the idea in the hope that it would spur jobs.

The politics surrounding the issue dissuaded some local leaders from making statements. Dan McDonald, vice president of existing business at Greater Dubuque Development Corp., declined to comment on the issue because he said it had become too politically charged.

Promenschenkel predicts he would see a lot of business from the thousands of workers who could be hired if the prison fully opens.

"It's there and it should be filled. The only people I've heard who are against it are older people who don't need the jobs and who believe all that propaganda they've heard" about security and safety concerns with having former Guantanamo detainees housed there, he said.

TH staff writers Mary Nevans-Pederson, Courtney Blanchard, Craig Reber, Stacey Becker, Michael Schmidt and Eileen Mozinski Schmidt contributed.

The Associated Press contributed.