Politics & Government
Romeoville Trustees Pave the Way for Baked Goods Plant, Sam's Club
The village board Wednesday approved plans for an international bakery goods manufacturer and heard a concept plan for a Sam's Club warehouse store. Plans for the new Murphy Park were also approved.
About a half million square feet of new construction is being planned for in the coming year.
The village board on Wednesday approved a tax abatement plan for an international baked goods manufacturer to build a facility in the Boldt Park industrial park and heard a concept plan to build a Sam’s Club warehouse store on Weber Road near .
Both projects earned high praise from village officials, who said the developments will bring new economic opportunities and more jobs to Romeoville.
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Trustees approved a five-year, 50 percent tax abatement for Aryzta, LLC, a Switzerland-based food business with a focus on bakery goods, to build a facility on Crossroads Parkway. The 360,000-square-foot manufacturing facility can be expanded to more than 450,000 square feet in the future and is expected to employ 270 people, according to Steve Rockwell, the village’s community development director.
Aryzta plans to invest about $100 million into the site and facility, Rockwell said.
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The village board voted to abate 50 percent of the village’s portion of the property tax for five years, which amounts to about $250,000, officials said.
Last month, approved a similar five-year tax abatement for Aryzta.
Romeoville Mayor John Noak said the business is a “fantastic asset to a community like ours.”
“Projects like this don’t happen that often,” he said. “This is a very exciting project.”
In other news, village officials next month expect to vote on a plan for a Sam’s Club warehouse store and gas station to be located on more than 13 acres of vacant land on Weber Road in the Romeoville Crossings commercial area.
Sam’s Club is planning to build a 138,445-square-foot store and gas station just south of Wal-Mart. If approved, site work will start this fall and construction is anticipated to begin in the spring. Village officials said it will take about nine months to complete.
The Sam’s Club is expected to generate about 200 new jobs.
Noak said the village has been in discussions with Sam’s Club for about two years, and plans are moving quickly forward. He said the warehouse store will bring more sales tax dollars for the village and drive future economic development.
“There has not been that many big box (stores) built of this size since the recession,” Noak said. “(Sam’s Club) will draw people from other communities to our community.”
A sidewalk will connect Sam’s Club to the Wal-Mart and village officials are working with the developers to make the area more pedestrian-friendly by connecting a bike path along Airport Road to the pathway system at Senior Star to the south.
Trustee Jose Chavez said people he’s talked with are enthused about Sam’s Club coming to town.
“Our residents are really excited,” he said. “They are tired of traveling out of town to go to Sam’s.”
The village board is also moving forward on a new park as part of its civic campus project.
The board approved a proposal from George’s Landscaping, Nu Toys and Cunningham Recreation to create Murphy Park adjacent to the village’s recently built Edward “Doc” McCartan Veteran’s Memorial.
The park will feature a rock-climbing play structure and swings and a pavilion similar to that built at Deer Crossing Park and will be paid for using tax increment financing funds.
The total cost is about $971,400.
