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KANKAKEE — Kankakee County has seen an influx of capital improvements over the past five years, totaling $2.5 billion spread among several manufacturers and businesses.
That astounding number was accentuated during a presentation by Tim Nugent, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, at this week’s Kankakee County Board meeting.
Tied to that number is $8.8 billion of products were exported from Kankakee County during the same time period.
“It wasn’t that long ago we used to talk in the millions of dollars,” Nugent said. “Now, all of a sudden, those numbers have changed. Over the course of the last five years, we’re now talking billions of dollars have been invested here in Kankakee County. That’s a lot of new money that’s coming into our area.”
Four recent projects have been the anchor for that investment:
• $2 billion into the Gotion lithium battery plant in Manteno;
• $35 million in upgrades at CSL Behring in Bourbonnais Township to support a 5.6-acre electrical substation onsite;
• $5 million renovation at Heartland Harvest in Kankakee; and
• $4.1 million into the Ken Hayes Industrial Park in Bradley.
“It’s a great thing that there’s new money, new jobs and new things that are happening throughout the county,” Nugent said.
The Gotion plant has the potential for 2,600 jobs over the entire build-out of the plant, while Heartland Harvest’s parent company, Our Home, is relocating all production lines to the Kankakee site, bringing an additional 90 employees.
The $8.8 billion in products exported dispels the myth that there’s nothing made in Kankakee County, Nugent added.
“The Economic Alliance has submitted 110 projects to the state of Illinois, as they’re always looking to find land or find buildings for companies that they might have that are looking to potentially locate in Illinois,” he said.
In addition to Gotion taking over the former Kmart distribution center, Lowe’s took over a vacant Sears warehouse in Diversatech in Manteno. Currently, the Economic Alliance is working with a commercial real estate company to attract a company to fill a 500,000-square foot facility in Diversatech.
“We work with the Realtors, we work with the state, we work with the federal government in order to try to attract businesses into the county,” Nugent said.
The CSL expansion and the Gotion plant are two of the largest projects in Illinois in the past five years as well. The CSL project entails huge infrastructure investments in its power grid and wastewater system.
“That’s a positive sign,” Nugent said. “Multinational companies don’t invest money underground in an infrastructure unless they have plans for the future.”
The $4.1-million investment in the former Roper site in the old David Bradley Manufacturing building comes from a federal grant that will be used to renovate and repair the roof of the building.
This upgrade will allow companies to remain. Nugent said approximately 140 people work at Ken Hayes, including Arctic Snow and Greif Manufacturing.
HOUSING STILL NEEDED
The investment in new houses hasn’t kept up with capital improvements. There’s still a sharp need for increased housing inventory.
Nugent noted that in the early 2000s there were 600 to 700 new Kankakee County homes built per year. The Great Recession of 2008-09 put a halt to that expansion. In the past 10 to 15 years, fewer than 100 homes per year have been built.
“We really need to do what we can to spur some housing development because we’ve got the need,” he said.
Incentives can help builders construct more homes in the area whether it’s local or national companies doing the work. One incentive is establishing enterprise zones.
An enterprise zone gives economic incentives for builders by waiving sales tax on building materials that they purchase for new homes, reduced or exemption of building permit fees for the new homes and real estate taxes can be laddered in over the course of five or six years, depending on each municipality.
In July 2023, the county board expanded the enterprise zone in areas of Manteno, Momence, Grant Park, parts of Kankakee County and Hopkins Park.
“So anything that we can do in order to try to entice local builders, which not many of them exist anymore, or even potentially bring in a national builder that could build a multitude of homes, we definitely have a need for more housing in the area,” Nugent said.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Also part of the alliance’s report was the improvements local municipalities are undertaking. Those improvements include the East Riverwalk in Kankakee. Phase I of the 4-mile, nearly $5 million project breaks ground Wednesday.
The Phase I completions of the natural gas pipeline in Pembroke Township has resulted in 98 residential and six commercial properties being connected. Included in that is the new Eva’s Pizza in Hopkins Park. Phase II is 86% complete and Phase III is 42% finished.
Bradley has invested $45 million in the Bradley Sports Complex which encompasses 126 acres and includes 12 baseball/softball diamonds among other amenities. It will open this summer.
Bradley has also committed to a $79.5 million indoor water park that’s projected to open in 2027.
Bourbonnais recently completed its $18 million community campus in the center of the village. The 12.5-acre complex includes a performing arts stage, viewing hill, walking trails, splash pad, six firepits, skate park and concession stand.
Manteno has continued to upgrade its parks with a focus on recreation. Those projects include pickle ball courts, bocce ball courts, wiffle ball field, sand volleyball and soccer facilities and a fishing pier.
“When we talk to companies that are looking to potentially come here, they want to know that ‘if I’m going to come spend millions of dollars in your community, I want to know that your communities are investing money on themselves,’” Nugent said.
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