Kankakee Times

Divulging only a slight difference in project development plans compared to the previous two years, the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County recently announced an expected $120.7 million yield in capital investment from 2016 for the region.

The partnership amassed data from Kankakee County Enterprise Zone applications, local news bulletins and its own research to project the figures -- pertaining to industrial, institutional, military, utility, multifamily residential, infrastructure and commercial market expansion.

“All economic indicators, including local capital investment, continue to point to Kankakee County’s upward momentum,” President and CEO Tim Nugent said. “That being said, the increasing influence of technology in all sectors is dramatically changing the makeup, types and number of manufacturing, logistics and other jobs available.”

All together, the county anticipates 31 large initiatives adding nearly 700,000 square feet of new space and creating 904 new jobs. The county’s eight largest new projects revealed in 2016 include an addition to Riverside Medical Center; regional water treatment plant upgrades; a new Hampton Inn; and sewer line extension to service the Bourbonnais Parkway development area.

Additionally, the Northfield Square Mall traded hands and is now owned by Namdar Realty Group. Momence-based Edmund Allen Lumber anticipates expansion; downtown Kankakee’s Fountain Square Apartments plans a 35-unit building; and ABC Coating announced relocation and new building construction near Manteno.

“We continue to see the connection of our regional population with the wealth of training and employment options in Kankakee County as the great challenge and opportunity of our organization in this dynamic digital economy,” Nugent said.