PepsiCo announces imminent shutdown of Barrington R&D facility

PepsiCo Inc. informed the village of Barrington this week that it intends to shut down its research and development facility at 617 W. Main St. where 212 employees currently work later this year.

The official notice from the company states that of those employees, 78 are expected to be laid off beginning on June 24 and through the final shutdown of the facility on or shortly after Sept. 30.

“They've been here forever,” Barrington Village President Karen Darch remarked of the company's presence in the village.

She added that the village did receive some informal notice before the official letter arrived, and she believes the company's intention is to put the property on the market.

In 2018, Barrington Area Unit District 220 bought the 20,000-square-foot office building at 515 W. Main St. from PepsiCo that had previously housed the company's Gatorade division.

Following a $1.7 million renovation, that building has become District 220's administrative headquarters.