$40 million in state grants to build on development-ready 'megasites': Here's where in the suburbs

SPRINGFIELD - Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced the creation of a $40 million grant program to help businesses find and build on large development-ready areas known as "megasites" across the state, including several in the suburbs.

Megasites are large swaths of land intended for businesses such as factories, warehouses and distribution centers. Pritzker said developing these sites will help make Illinois more competitive, especially as sectors including clean energy and manufacturing are rapidly expanding in the U.S.

"Illinois is home to some of the largest such sites in the country, all ripe for fresh development," Pritzker said at a Chicago news conference. "The new megasites investment program grants will help communities innovate their own business attraction efforts and will spur economic development in communities across our great state."

Intersect Illinois, an independent economic development nonprofit working with the state on the program, lists among 151 megasites two in Hoffman Estates, one in West Chicago, four in Lake County and five in the Fox Valley. Several more are in South and Southwest suburbs, and more than two dozen are southwest of Joliet around Minooka, Channahon and Morris.

The Megasites Development Program uses Rebuild Illinois capital funds to provide the necessary infrastructure improvements to develop these megasites. Other eligible costs include various land acquisition, cleanup and development expenses.

The program is open to private entities, nonprofits and local governments, and the application portal is open through April 6. Those receiving the grant must match each dollar granted by the state with other private or local funding.

Grant allotments would range from $250,000 to $5 million, depending on the acreage of the site. Eligible sites must have at least 200 contiguous acres, and applicants must own or have an agreement in place to acquire the property when they apply.

Kristin Richards, acting director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said the investment-ready sites may lure manufacturing and distribution hubs, or large scale one-stop shops that produce multipart products within one location.

"I like to think of megasites as turnkey houses: move-in ready, with zero hassle, which is exactly what fast-growing businesses are looking for," Richards said.

Intersect Illinois, which often partners with state organizations including the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, announced its Vetted Sites Initiative alongside Pritzker at the Monday news conference. It's intended to help businesses interested in moving to Illinois seek out readily equipped property sites.

"The idea here is to identify large sites that can be brought up to speed quickly so that we can promote them across the country and even around the world," said Dan Seals, president of Intersect Illinois.

To help companies look for these "turnkey" locations in Illinois, Intersect Illinois has created a property finder that, if you search for sites with a maximum size of at least 200 acres, shows the 151 investment-ready sites in Illinois. A stand-alone guide shows megasites with over 1,000 acres, including a 2,300-acre location in Morris.

The Hoffman Estates megasites are what's called "Prairie Stone Land," 274 acres off Higgins and Old Sutton roads, and "2800 Beverly Road," 200 acres just west of the Sears property.

The West Chicago megasite is up to 206 acres at the northwest corner of North Avenue and Powis Road. Two megasites, one up to 300 acres and one up to 200, are nearly next to each other on Peterson Road around Mundelein and Grayslake.

A nearby, 246-acre property is off Townline Road right next to Campbell Airport. And there's a 200-acre spot in Zion.

Then there are two megasites around Huntley and Hampshire, one in Montgomery, and two around Plano and Yorkville.

Pritzker added that programs such as the Megasite Development Program are necessary to helping economic development as COVID-19 has eased up in recent years.

"As we've come out, I've been very aggressive. That's not just in the last few months, that's really over the last year and a half, two years, to make sure that we've got programs that are incentives for businesses, like Megasites," Pritzker said. "Let's prepare for them what they need."