'State of the Village' Recaps 2011, Looks Ahead to 2012

The new year is here, and Mayor John Noak kicked it off by recapping the highlights of 2011 Tuesday at the annual state of the village luncheon.

Noak also gave guests a preview of what’s to come in 2012 during the Romeoville Area Chamber of Commerce event.

New development

Despite the sluggish economy, new businesses continue to move into the village. Over the last year, 50 new businesses came to Romeoville, bringing more than 1,100 jobs, Noak said.

Meanwhile, some existing businesses are growing. Some of that growth has been helped by TIF (tax increment financing) funding from what Noak called the “one of the most successful TIF districts in the state.” Romeoville’s downtown TIF distirct is intended to revitalize the Route 53 corridor.

Under a TIF district, taxing bodies within the district agree to allow their property taxes to be frozen at a certain level for an extended period. During that period, any additional tax revenue generated by increased property values goes into the TIF fund, to be used for capital improvement projects.

TIF funding has been used to assist projects including:

• The renovation of
• Improvements at
• The remodeling of
• The new
• at the White Oak Library District’s
• The completion of Veteran’s Parkway and the addition of decorative fencing and landscaping

“The most important phase to begin is the construction of our ,” Noak said, adding the village has secured a $200,000 grant to clean up the Spartans’ Square shopping center. “We are in the final stage of completing a development plan that will be unveiled in the next few months.”

Other business highlights

Noak announced the creation of the Mayor’s Route 66 Business Council. The group is charged with “creating an environment that attracts new businesses and addresses the concerns facing the existing businesses along the [Route 53] corridor,” Noak said.

The village is also seeing an , Noak said, with two companies planning to build massive spec buildings. Pizzuti is slated to build a more than 500,000-square-foot facility, while Ryan Companies has announced plans for a 600,000-square-foot spec building.

Meanwhile, is leasing a 650,000-square-foot building in Romeoville to house Samsung North America’s electronics, IT and home appliance product distribution. 

A busy year for parks and rec

Noak also noted some of the projects that have kept Romeoville Recreation Department staffers busy this year, such as:

• A new pavilion at Village Park. The pavilion is dedicated to recreation department office manager Nancy Aldridge, who recently lost her battle with cancer.
• The new Deer Crossing Park amphitheater. The new amenity was put to good use in 2011, hosting the village’s free summer concert and movies in the park series. The park was also the site of several fundraisers, most notably the village’s first , which raised $50,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Still to come

There are more projects on the horizon for Romeoville in 2012 and beyond, according to Noak.

In the works:

• The village is working with Bolingbrook, Plainfield and the Illinois Department of Transportation to advance plans for possible interchange improvements at .
• Romeoville has also partnered with IDOT to advance plans for improvements.
• Further south on Weber, Will County is expected to undertake a $14 million project to improve the intersection of . “The improvements will not only facilitate better traffic flow, but will allow us to attract additional development to this area,” Noak said. Once the intersection is complete, a is slated to be built.

Other future developments:

• Officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration to help secure funding for runway repairs and construction of an air traffic control tower at . The projects could help make the airport “the executive airport for the Chicagoland region,” Noak said.
• Construction is expected to begin on a in 2013. The site, which will be the cornerstone of plans to revitalize the village’s , will provide a new stop along the Heritage Corridor Line. Plans for the station include 600 commuter parking spots, a pedestrian bridge across the railroad tracks and a multi-use path from the station to the I&M Canal trail. The project is funded in part with a $4 million Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality Grant and $2 million from Metra. The final East Side development plan will be unveiled this spring, Noak said.
• FedEx will invest $37 million in a 250,000-square-foot facility in the Pinnacle Business Park. Dubbed “one of the most exciting new projects next year,” by Noak, the project is expected to bring 400 jobs to Romeoville.
• is continuing a $6 million renovation, including a new clubhouse, revamped course and banquet facility.