Joliet Technology Center Draws Big Turnout, Local 597's Doc Gregory Predicts City Council Support

JOLIET, IL — For the first time since news broke last October, Hillwood hosted a three-hour open house on Thursday evening at the Joliet Junior College campus and a huge turnout showed up to learn more about the company's plans to build one of the largest data centers in the entire Midwest right here in Joliet.

Called the Joliet Technology Center, the data center is proposed on the southern edge of Joliet, on roughly 800 acres of farmland near the NASCAR Chicagoland Speedway.

Hillwood representatives set up tables inside Building U to answer questions from people and talk about different topics of concern. Stations included "Acoustics," "Project at a Glance," "Economic & Community Benefits" and "Total Local Taxes Paid By the Joliet Technology Center."

Donald Schoenheider, the former mayor of Lake Forest who now works as executive vice president for Hillwood, a Perot company, estimated at least 200 people attended the three-hour open house, which went from 4 to 7 p.m.

Several Joliet and Will County politicians were in the crowd including Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Joliet City Councilmen Juan Moreno, Larry Hug, Joe Clement and Cesar Cardenas. State Senator Rachel Ventura was also in attendance.

The Joliet and Will County area building trades and union labor organizations had a strong showing as well, such as: Will & Grundy Counties Building Trades Council, Ironworkers Local 444, IBEW Local 176, Teamsters Local 179, Plumbers Local 130, Sheet Metal Local 265, Operating Engineers Local 150, Pipefitters' Association Local 597 and Laborers Local 75.

Schoenheider said the Joliet Technology Center is proposed in an ideal location. The farmland in the Elwood area is near Schweitzer Road, along Ridge Road, across the road from the Austin Tyler Construction Company's headquarters.

"This is a perfect data center site," he told Joliet Patch. "There's practically no residential in the area and it's near the intermodals and warehouses. So, you could not ask for a better site."

Schoenheider said the Joliet Technology Center will constitute 7,000 to 10,000 union construction jobs, which "is a meaningful impact for Joliet and Will County."

He said that concerns raised by people at recent Joliet City Council meetings suggesting that the Joliet Technology Center will destroy the region's water supply are untrue.

He said that the amount of water used by the Joliet Technology Center will be roughly the equivalent of a business office park or residential subdivision.

"The first thought was that we need 5 million gallons a day of water; we do not need that," Schoenheider assured Joliet Patch. "And the city is on board with what we need from infrastructure and quantity of water."

As for the electricity, "we're going to pay Com-Ed to improve their transmission system," he explained.

Over 30 years, Hillwood's Joliet Technology Center amounts to a $2.1 billion investment in property taxes, and most will go to the area schools, Schoenheider pointed out. The data center would consist of 24 buildings spread out along the 800-acre technology campus.

Once the Joliet Technology Center is built and operating, that will mean another 750 permanent jobs, of which many will probably exceed $100,000 in pay and "most of which don't require a college degree," Schoenheider said. "It's a real impact to the economy."

As far as time frame, Hillwood wants the Joliet Technology Center to be up for discussion at the March 5 Joliet plan commission meeting at City Hall and hopefully move to the Joliet City Council "two to three weeks after," the company's executive vice president said.

Hillwood needs approval from the city of Joliet's elected officials for a Planned Unit Development, land rezoning and also annexation.

"I think we have a great project and a real long-term benefit and we're excited about moving it forward," Schoenheider said.

Doc Gregory, business representative of Chicago Pipefitters Local 597, said that Joliet and Will County area trades are incredibly excited about the Joliet Technology Center's potential impact on the area.

He said the magnitude of this project has not been replicated in the Joliet area since the Braidwood Nuclear Station was built during the 1980s.

"The potential for the city of Joliet, 8,600 construction jobs, that's huge for us," Gregory explained.

Gregory wanted to remind everyone that Hillwood is not asking for a Tax Increment Finance District or any tax breaks from the city of Joliet in order to build its Joliet Technology Center.

"Joliet is not giving them any tax incentives and they are not asking for a TIF," he remarked.

Gregory said the 800-acre parcel already has several overhead power lines and underground pipelines running through it, making the land unattractive for developers to build new housing.

"There's no neighborhoods around. It's in a good spot," he said. "The tax revenue is huge based on the 30-year life cycle. You're talking five to seven years of construction build out."

Joliet Patch asked Gregory if he anticipated the Joliet City Council — including Mayor Terry D'Arcy, will approve the Joliet Technology Center in the coming weeks.

Gregory's response?

"I expect the City Council to embrace this project," he answered confidently.