Village: Projects Could Mean Hundreds of New Jobs in Romeoville

Village trustees got a look Wednesday at two huge warehouse projects that could bring hundreds of jobs to Romeoville.

, the firm hired by developer Scannell Properties to oversee design and construction on a new $37 FedEx distribution center on Taylor Road, plans to get the project under way by early April.

The 239,000-square-foot facility will be built in the Pinnacle Business Park, directly across from another major Romeoville distribution facility occupied by .

Meridian Senior Vice President Peter Schmidt many of the estimated 533 jobs at the FedEx facility will be new hires, as opposed to positions shifted from other FedEx locations.

“A lot of times, with this type of facility, there are a lot of new hires,” he said. “FedEx is growing exponentially,” Schmidt added, saying demand for deliveries have increased as more and more people do their shopping online.

The project includes plans to install replacement trees between the rear of the building and the north property line to provide screening for residents whose homes are near the site.

Community Development Director Steve Rockwell said the precast concrete facility is expected to be completed by December, with the company conducting most of its hiring in the summer of 2013.

Expected jobs include 141 van drivers, 171 first-shift package handlers and 171 second-shift package handlers, along with roughly 50 full-time office staff. 

If you build it …

Though the project was designed without a tenant already lined up, the developer behind plans to build a massive speculative project in the Boldt Business Park said it won’t have any trouble filling the 600,000-square-foot facility.

In fact, the project has already changed hands, as original developer Ryan Companies recently sold it to DCT Industrial of Denver, Colorado.

John Dunneback, senior project manager for Ryan Companies, also said some prospective tenants have already expressed interest in the facility, set to be built at Crossroads Parkway and Normantown Road, across from the ’s station three.

“We just got a [request for proposal] on it today,” Dunneback said, “We’d be surprised if by the end of the summer we don’t have something.”

The estimated $30 million project is a good sign for Romeoville, according to Mayor John Noak.

“It’s a nice sign that companies are willing to make a $30 million investment in a speculative project right now,” he said, noting that with few large warehouse spaces available along the I-55 corridor, Romeoville is in a good position for growth, with in the works.

“Spec buildings in the I-55 corridor are not just occupied, but occupied by places with large workforces,” Noak said. “It means more jobs here locally.”

Dunneback said construction is scheduled to begin in May, with completion by the end of October. He estimated that during peak construction, the project will employ 35 to 60 workers.