A lot happened in Grundy County in 2025, but the county’s year was defined by growth and the many changes that came with it.

Canadian National begins construction on Chicago Logistics Hub between Minooka and Channahon

Canadian National moved some dirt around at its planned site for the Chicago Logistics Hub north of U.S. Route 6 and north of Aux Sable Liquid Products and LyondellBasell. While the project still is undergoing the village’s process for review and approval, it is moving forward.

Channahon and Minooka residents aren’t all happy about it as Route 6 through both communities already gets heavy truck traffic and the project will bring more traffic. Minooka has filed a lawsuit to ensure it’s allowed to enforce its existing weight limits on McLinden Road.

The project could put an additional 200,000 trucks on Ridge Road and Interstate 80.

Data Centers planned for Minooka, Morris

The 300-acre Equinix data center in Minooka is a bit further along in its development than the plans for a data center on Gun Club Road in Morris.

Equinix hosted a town hall to address concerns from residents in September, and it said it wouldn’t be using water cooling. Many residents were concerned as water cooling instead of air cooling would put a strain on the community’s water resources.

In Morris, that’s not expected to be a problem. The city approved four agreements for the development of a 158-acre data center south of U.S. Route 6 crossing over Gun Club Road in August, though a partner to use the data center hasn’t yet been figured out.

Mayor Chris Brown told the Morris Herald-News in August that this was a preliminary step, and power usage and water usage aren’t yet known. It could be millions of gallons of water during the project’s first phase.

Black Bear Diner replaces R-Place at Morris TravelCenters of America

R-Place in Morris officially closed after 57 years in operation, and it has since been replaced with a Black Bear Diner, the first franchise in Illinois from a California-based group that has restaurants across the country.

R-Place was a Morris staple, well-known for its desserts and it’s salad bar, among other things. The truly brave will recall R-Place’s 4-pound cheeseburger.

R-Place opened first as Chuck Wagon in 1967 as part of a Standard Oil gas station. It expanded in 1987 and became R-Place, and also started a catering service.