Positive Economic Condition In Plainfield Prior To Pandemic

PLAINFIELD, IL — During the Plainfield Committee of the Whole workshop on Oct. 12, board members got a look at the village's economic conditions when Naperville-based accounting firm Sikich LLP presented an audit for the 2020 fiscal year.

Although the report does not fully detail the impacts on the pandemic since the year ended on April 30, highlights from the audit revealed that Plainfield is doing well with retail sales, which remained relatively unchanged in comparison to the previous fiscal year. State income and use tax improved by 11.6 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively.

Housing development showed slight improvement in 2020. During the fiscal year, 220 single family building permits were issued for new construction within the Village. During fiscal year 2019, 169 single family building permits were issued and 163 were issued in 2018. Building permit revenues represented 4.2 percent of the General Fund revenue, compared to 4.1 percent in fiscal year 2019, according to village documents. According to the auditor, the village experienced the strongest residential housing demand since the great recession during this past fiscal year.

As the fiscal year was winding down, the pandemic was just beginning. With all the changes that the pandemic has brought, the village continues to see economic development and infrastructure improvements which are key components of its strategic plan. Here are a few of the year’s highlights:

• Construction of the new Costco store at the Boulevard began in 2019. This store will be the first to open at the new Boulevard development and additional development will follow.
  
• Late in fiscal 2019, Seefried Properties completed construction of a 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center north of 143rd Street and west of Steiner Road. Diageo, with its existing manufacturing facility nearby, leases the distribution center and began operations in May. The project is expected to generate in excess of $1 million in annual property tax revenue to local units of government.
  
• The Seefried/Diageo project also brought the extension of 143rd Street to the west. The roadway was extended approximately 2,500 feet west of Steiner Road to connect the development to the village's roadway network and a new traffic signal was installed at Meadow Lane. The project also included the installation of 5,700 feet of public water main and 3,100 feet of public sanitary sewer main.
  
• The Village Green project is a multi-year program which includes significant improvements to the village's utility infrastructure by upgrading water and sanitary sewer mains in the Village Green neighborhood along with the removal and replacement of lead service lines. Over 4,400 feet of new water main and 700 feet of new sanitary sewer main were completed and added to the Village's water and wastewater systems.
  
• The 169-unit Northpointe, developed by Pulte and approved in late 2018, moved rapidly into construction in 2019 with strong demand throughout 2019 and 2020. Willow Tree Farm (116 lots) is also approved and poised for development. Separately, construction is underway on the 284-unit Sixteen30 luxury apartment development in the downtown area.