Danville Public Works Committee Moves Forward on Enterprise Zone Expansion, Stadium Improvements

The Danville City Council Public Works Committee has forwarded some items on to the full council.  One involves the expansion of an enterprise zone already established within the city and the county to now include Tilton, as well as expand the area where Danville can build new business structures.  As Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk explained, this is now doable pending the passage of proposed state legislation that should be up for a vote within the next couple of months.

Cronk explained what Danville areas would be added to the expanded enterprise zone.

AUDIO: On top of what’s being added to Tilton, the City of Danville gains a substantial amount of developer friendly area to the city.  The most significant pieces of expansion are the North Vermilion Corridor, which it was not included before, and then the East Main Street Corridor will be added as well.

Cronk says enterprise zone advantages include incoming businesses getting half off on building permits, along with a state sales tax exemption on building materials.

Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk (middle) speaks during Tuesday evening Public Works Committee meeting.

Also forwarded to the full City Council during the Tuesday (September 10th) evening Public Works Committee meeting was the acceptance of a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for improvements to Danville Stadium; a new visitors locker room and improved rest room facilities.  Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr says he sees the city kicking in about $60,000 to complete a couple of major projects by next year’s Danville Dans season.

AUDIO: Jeanie Cooke, one of the Dans owners, came to me, and said “we’ve got young people coming from all over the country changing in an area with a dirt floor.  If they have to use the rest room during the game, they literally have to run inside their dugout and run around the entire facility; and we don’t have any handicapped accessible rest rooms there currently.”  This will change all of that, improve all of that, so that we can treat out guests with respect.

Some Danville Stadium improvements, including a new visitors locker room, are now planned for the 2025 Danville Dans season.

Mayor Williams credits both the late State Senator Scott Bennett, along with Former State Rep Mike Marron, with getting the ball rolling on Danville receiving this grant.