The above is a News-Gazette photo.
A question asked during Tuesday (July 15th) night’s Danville City Council meeting, by Alderman Jon Cooper, brought up an interesting topic: What has happened to Danville’s previously approved third cannabis dispensary? Last summer, MariWorks LLC of Chicago succeeded in their second attempt to establish a Danville nuEra dispensary. The first attempt, at 500 Eastgate Drive near Danville Metal Stamping; was withdrawn after it did not receive recommendation from the Danville Planning and Zoning Commission.
But then they proposed a dispensary that would also include a Casey’s Truck Stop and quick-service restaurant, on farmland south of I-74. This was approved, but all has been very quiet since then. After Alderman Cooper brought it up, Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk said there were some difficulties with Ameren committing to the new infrastructure that would be needed. The plan had originally called for potential additional lots as well. Cronk says it’s not that Ameren flat out does not want to put the utilities in. Instead, it’s more a case of complexity, and everything that has to be considered.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: I wouldn’t say Ameren doesn’t want to do the work. I think it’s a scaling issue; and a pricing issue to get it through an overpass essentially. Businesses don’t want to spend more money on pipe dreams, right? Nobody knows if six lots are going to develop there. All we know is two are going to develop.
Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr stated that he has contacted Ameren, and hopes to have conversation with them soon. Cronk agreed with Cooper that the chances of this being a 2025 project are now pretty much gone.
Meanwhile, last week’s action by the Public Services Committee to change the zoning at West Newell and Bowman from “agricultural” to “light industrial” was passed quickly by the full City Council without discussion or debate. Cronk says, everybody seems to be aligned on this one; the importance of being prepared for potential major employers.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: The City of Danville needs to get as many large scale industrial sites ready for future expansion of the city; and work on our job force.
The zoning change applied to the northwest, southwest, and northeast corners of West Newell and Bowman. The southeast corner, as well as part of the northeast, belongs to Vermilion Regional Airport.
