Lemont Approves Redevelopment Plan For Main, Maley Area

LEMONT, IL — At its Monday meeting, the Lemont Village Board approved the adoption of the Main and Maley redevelopment plan, as well as designating and adopting a tax increment allocation financing district (TIF) for the same project area.

Community Development Director Jason Berry said the project area is approximately 130 acres of industrial properties, north of Main Street and adjacent to Maley Road.

"The plan found that this area could be both a conservation area and a blighted area through the lack of inconsistent zoning...lack of infrastructure, traffic concerns...," Berry said. "There's a number of purposes for the improvements that TIF would provide."

According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a TIF district allows local government to dedicate sales tax revenues and property tax revenues generated within the TIF for improvements within the TIF district.

Mayor John Egofske asked Berry about the lack of infrastructure in the area and how a TIF would be used.

"If we could improve water and sewer infrastructure, that would help our economic development out there," Berry said. "Hopefully bring in better businesses: businesses that produce more property tax and sales tax for the Village."

"These are areas that developed at a very different time; they were rail-focused and canal-focused as well. Manufacturing sites were much smaller back then, they are what are called 'brown field sites' today," Berry added. "They've had existing history of manufacturing, and it takes a lot to turn those around and to bring what they call a 'class A' industrial user to town."

Berry said the Village has heard "again and again that if you can't provide utilities, you can't get the users you want."

The TIF will be in effect for 23 years.

Egofske said the TIF process is misunderstood and can be misrepresented.

"The reason why you have a TIF is because development will not happen but for having infrastructure there," he said. He added that a prime example of how a TIF should operate is downtown Lemont, and at Route 83 and Main.