Naperville mayor touts Block 59 dining district, calls I-88 corridor the ‘most significant redevelopment opportunity’ in city history
Across Naperville, a new dining and entertainment district is transforming Route 59 and Aurora Avenue, a Heinen’s grocery store is slated to open this August on the other side of town and a LifeTime Athletic Resort is set to break ground this summer.
Mayor Scott Wehrli gave a highlight reel of those and other commercial developments during his State of the City address on Thursday. Now two years into his first term as mayor, Wehrli delivered the speech on the heels of a new U.S. Census Bureau estimate that puts Naperville ahead of Joliet for the first time as the third-largest municipality in Illinois.
But Wehrli particularly zeroed in on the kind of undertaking that could further define his legacy as mayor and the city’s future.
“There is no doubt that the I-88 corridor will be the largest and most significant redevelopment opportunity in our city’s history,” Wehrli said.
A new study calls the corridor the only “opportunity area” of its scale left in the city. Much of the corridor in Naperville — once known as its “Innovation Corridor” — was developed with single-use, low-density office space and is underused and “underperforming relative to its potential,” according to the report by AECOM, a consultant hired by the Naperville Development Partnership.
“Nearly half of the city’s existing jobs are located in the corridor, which the report noted was an ideal location for certain high-growth industries,” Wehrli said. “Sectors like: ag and food tech, biotech, pharma, life science, energy, fintech, quantum and advanced computing, tourism, sports and hospitality.”
The study team identified specific industries that “they believe we will have very great success in attracting, based upon our proximity to everything from an international airport to national laboratories to an educated workforce,” the mayor said after his speech in the Embassy Suites ballroom.
Among its recommendations, the study suggests developing a new corridor brand identity and creating a special zoning district along I-88 that would allow for a more dense, mixed-use, pedestrian- and transit-friendly environment.
“The study sets aspirational goals that add 15,000 high-paying jobs in the corridor by 2045 if we target these industries,” Wehrli told a business-friendly audience.
Elsewhere, the Block 59 development will boast an outdoor event plaza and a cluster of trendy restaurants on tap to open this year and next at the northeast corner of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue.
The list of announced restaurants includes The Cheesecake Factory, brunch spot First Watch, Piccolo Buco — a concept by Cooper’s Hawk — Velvet Taco, FreshFin Poké, Crisp & Green, Yard House and Cava. Ruth’s Chris Steak House is expected to open in 2026, the Block 59 developer confirmed last month. Block 59 has already welcomed Shake Shack.
“All of this is built around open green space that will be used for entertainment and gatherings,” Wehrli said.
He also gave a shoutout to Naperville institutions celebrating major milestones: Oswald’s Pharmacy and Anderson’s Bookshop, both marking their 150th anniversaries. Downtown, several national retailers — Abercrombie & Fitch, Barnes & Noble and a Kendra Scott jewelry boutique — have set up shop in recent months.
“Whether old or new, it will be easier to navigate to these places this summer when, yes, finally, the Washington Street bridge construction is complete,” Wehrli said, drawing one of the loudest rounds of applause of the event.
Meanwhile, neighboring Wheaton and many suburbs have enacted a municipal 1% percent sales tax on groceries to replace a state-imposed tax set to be repealed at the start of next year. In Naperville, the end of the tax would “mean $6.5 million less will flow into our general fund,” Wehrli said.
“We must find a solution to fill this budget gap,” the mayor said. “And it’s going to require tough conversations by the new city council, beginning next month.”