Village president touts Plainfield’s ‘downtown vibe’ and diverse business development

Plainfield — Plainfield Village President John Argoudelis delivered his State of the Village address May 9 and touted the many developments coming to the village.

During his speech, which was hosted by the Plainfield Junior Women’s Club, Argoudelis said the village “has a lot to celebrate” and that “businesses and retailers continue to find Plainfield an attractive place to locate.”

Argoudelis spoke extensively about ongoing development along Route 59, where multiple retailers are planning to open in the next few years. Among the businesses coming to the area are Taco Bell, Bella Tire, Dollar Tree and Hawk Auto, which is building a series of four dealerships along the south Route 59 corridor north of Rolf Road including brands such as Cadillac and Volkswagen.

These businesses all already have begun construction or plan to start later this year. They will be joining other newcomers, including Aldi, the Animal Care Center and Starbucks.

Plainfield also will see a new type of business coming to its borders soon. After voter support for marijuana dispensaries in the village, two dispensaries now are being planned for the near future.

Argoudelis said Plainfield’s first dispensary will be located in the former Hardee’s building, just south of Renwick Road on Route 59, and a second is being considered for the north side of town.

“Estimates show that each dispensary will produce a conservative minimum of $300,000 in new sales tax revenue,” Argoudelis said, adding that the proceeds from the sales will be used to fund capital projects within the village.

“As I said when we moved forward with dispensaries, it is all about the money,” Agroudelis said. “Whether we have them or not will not change people’s habits, but this is an additional revenue stream for us to take the burden off our residents’ real estate tax bill.”

Downtown business updates

Argoudelis also highlighted several businesses that recently arrived or soon will be opening in the downtown area, including Altiro Latin Fusion, the Clifton and Fuse’d, which will occupy the former Taphouse location.

Additionally, Argoudelis teased that “something exciting is set to happen soon at the Opera House,” although he declined to give more details during the address.

“Our downtown has its own vibe – different than any other towns,” Argoudelis said. “Our residents and those from nearby towns find a trip to downtown Plainfield a destination for great food, drink and events, and maintaining this vibe is very important to us.”

Other restaurants coming to Plainfield in the near future, Argoudelis said, include Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Panda Express, Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice, all of which will be located in the Boulevard.

Diversified development

Argoudelis also emphasized the need for the village to diversify its tax base while discussing upcoming additions to the village’s industrial corridor along 143rd Street.

BP-Chill, a 400,000-square-foot cold storage facility, is under construction south of the existing Diageo distribution center along with logistics company DSV, which is planing a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution facility in the area.

Argoudelis said these developments will bring $3.5 million in annual property tax revenue and that BP-Chill specifically brought in $1.5 million in impact fees for the village, which are being used for traffic improvements, bike paths and planning for the proposed greenbelt.

“I’m very excited about the greenbelt, a newly created buffer of natural plantings separating our industrial development from our homes,” Agroudelis said. “I really am appreciative to our industrial developers for supporting it.”

With increased tax revenue from these developments, along with the village’s high sales tax revenues, Argoudelis suggested that the village will be able to keep property taxes lower in the future.

He noted that the village already was able to reduce its property tax levy by 5% in recent years and has kept water rates steady for the past three years.

The low property taxes may be a factor in the village’s continued growth. The village permitted more than 390 new homes in 2023 and has approved the creation of multiple new subdivisions and townhome developments, which will create more than 700 more residences in the coming years.

Agroudelis noted that the village and U.S. Census Bureau will be conducting a special census in 2025 to account for the significant growth in the first half of the decade.

Infrastructure projects

During his address, Argoudelis also acknowledged multiple capital projects underway in the village, including the completion of the rerouting of Route 126 to 143rd Street. The project soon will complete the connections for Ridge Road to Route 126 in the hopes of alleviating congestion downtown and improving safety and travel times.

Work also has begun on the “east extension,” providing a direct route between Route 59 and Route 126, something the village president touted as “a key part of the village’s Transportation and Mobility Plan and regional transportation planning.”

That project has received $47.5 million in state and federal funding and is not slated for completion until late 2025. Meanwhile, the west extension of 143rd Street from Ridge Road to Steiner Road also has begun construction, with culverts and drainage work already underway.

Agroudelis celebrated the creation of the Plainfield Public Arts Council, a new nonprofit organization that will promote permanent and temporary public art throughout the village. The group already has held its first meetings. It is made possible through the donation of land at Routes 30 and 59 in Old Town.

“We had our initial meeting, and I can say the creativity and passion Plainfield residents have for public art blew me away,” Agroudelis said.