DuPage, Lisle offering money to help Navistar relocate
Navistar International Corp. could receive $1.5 million in assistance from Lisle and DuPage County to help the truck-building company move its headquarters a few miles down Warrenville Road to a massive complex that once housed Lucent Technologies employees.
Lisle village trustees on Monday approved a $500,000 expenditure to help Navistar's purchase of the property at 2600 Warrenville Road. The DuPage County Board's economic development committee unanimously approved a similar $1 million payment Tuesday. The full board is expected to sign off on the deal next week.
"We're grateful for their support, but this is just one step in the process," Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley said Tuesday.
Wiley said that process could take up to six months. He wouldn't comment on the price tag.
The county and village money would be used to purchase land in the back of the property that once was owned by Alcatel-Lucent but was sold to the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. Navistar wants to regain control of roads on part of that land, county officials said.
Forest preserve officials refused to comment because commissioners have not discussed the proposal yet. The county and village money is necessary because forest preserve rules prohibit the sale of land to private industry.
"We are very happy that we could help to bring the parties and stakeholders together," county board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom said. "It obviously shows that if you work at economic development, even in these times, it's still possible."
The county funds are coming from public transit dollars earmarked for projects that other agencies aren't ready to move forward with this year, Schillerstrom said. He said the county would reinvest in those projects when the partner agencies are ready to proceed.
Navistar employs about 16,000 people worldwide and about 1,500 workers at its Warrenville headquarters at 4201 Winfield Road.
Warrenville officials said they are unaware of any plans by the building's owner to replace Navistar. Warrenville City Manager John Coakley said there have been informal discussions, but the impact would be worse if Navistar moved completely out of the area.
Instead, it will be just a few miles away and close enough to the lunchtime eateries in Warrenville that employees already frequent.
"It's not terribly far away, and people coming to and from may still use Warrenville services," he said. "We'd certainly welcome them."
County officials said the agreement with Navistar includes a promise to relocate an additional 2,000 employees to the 600,000-square-foot building that is noted for its gigantic satellite dish-shaped atrium facing Warrenville Road. Alcatel-Lucent put the property up for sale in April 2008. A spokesman said Tuesday it is still for sale but did not comment on any pending deals.
Lisle trustees also voted to begin a process that could allow Navistar to turn the property into a tax increment financing district, where tax revenue from rising property values would help finance any new infrastructure improvements at the site. It would be the town's first TIF district, Village Manager Jerry Sprecher said.
County board member Grant Eckhoff, chairman of the board's economic development committee, said Navistar has expressed interest in demolishing some buildings, constructing new ones and renovating existing structures.
"So that's not just new jobs Navistar is bringing with their own employees, but jobs demolishing, building and reworking some of the inside of that building," Eckhoff said. "Then there's all these people moving to the area who should be buying houses and shopping and buying at places around here."
Schillerstrom said the 2,000 new employees are expected by the end of 2011.
"There are a variety of contractual provisions that makes sure that once the county invests the money, the jobs will in fact arrive here," Schillerstrom said.
Move: Navistar employs 1,500 locally