By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Developers broke ground Thursday on a roughly $30 million, 350,000 square-foot facility on a 21-acre site at the northwest corner of Baxter and Mulford roads.
The name of the business that will occupy the site has not yet been disclosed, but construction is expected to be complete in spring 2024. The county said it’s working with Clayco Construction and DB Schenker to build “a zero-waste, carbon negative and energy-efficient warehouse.”
In late June, Winnebago County Board member signed off on an incentive package that could be worth nearly $3 million over 10 years to entice the new business here. It has been referred to only as “Project Dolphin.”
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The new business will fill the final plot on the north side of the Rock 39 Industrial Park, which the county helped spur the creation of in 2011 in partnership with New Milford and Cherry Valley. The local government entities joined together to create an Illinois Industrial Jobs Recovery Law tax increment finance district, which allows them to incentivize development by repaying a portion of taxes back to companies for some costs associated with construction.
The industrial park is also home to Berner Foods, FedEx, XPO Logistics and an Amazon distribution center, a 140-000 square-foot facility that was the most recent addition.
“In just the past two years, we’ve been able to bring in nearly $60 million in development for the (Interstate) 39 corridor,” Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli said in a news release. “This $30 million+ agreement will increase property values and pave the way for future economic development in the region.”
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It’s unclear how many people will be employed at the new business. However, developer Venture One Real Estate is building 200 parking spaces and allocating space for an additional 100 parking spots, which Chiarelli previously said could be equated to potential employees.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.