THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: Plans to construct a Culver’s restaurant continue to move forward along Illinois Route 1 in Tilton, near Dollar General.
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TILTON — It’s been about six years in the making, as Tilton officials can attest to the lengthy period of answering the question if Culver’s will open in the village.
But 2025 could finally be the year, said Culver’s owner Gary Satterlee.
Tilton Mayor Billy Wear said he’d like to see at least a sign erected denoting the future site, when Satterlee gets to a certain point, just so the questions will die down.
Construction has started on Satterlee’s Mahomet Culver’s to add to the ones he already has in Danville, Champaign and Urbana.
He said plans continue to open a Culver’s too in Tilton.
“We’re hoping next year,” Satterlee said.
The Danville Culver’s has been open 10 years and continues to do well, he added.
“Everything’s great,” he said of the Danville restaurant.
Wear said they’re waiting on drawings from corporate to construct the Culver’s north of the Dollar General along Illinois Route 1.
Wear said the site was part of the old 14th street clover, right before the Dollar General.
Surveying on the site has been completed, Wear added.
Satterlee said they worked out a deal out with Tilton officials.
“We’ve been working on it for six years,” he said.
The property was owned by the state and it took a while for the village to acquire it.
“We bought the property from the village,” Satterlee said.
Satterlee said the process to open a new restaurant takes longer post COVID-19.
“It’s a different world all together since covid,” he said. “It takes a long time.”
He said so many businesses too went out of business, and “it’s a different world. Their plan is to get everything going now.
Culver’s is just one of the businesses Tilton officials are anticipating and are hopeful will open soon. Wear has been in contact with Vermilion County officials about questions the county board had regarding the proposed enterprise zone expansion to assist more businesses to locate in Tilton. Danville and Tilton officials already have approved the expansion. Wear is hopeful the Vermilion County Board also will approve it, after tabling action this month.
Wear said they have a handful of additional interested businesses, including four retail commercial projects and possibly a family restaurant between Vermilion Chevrolet GMC and Longview Bank. There also is a mini storage warehouse and solar field project, waiting on the enterprise zone, proposed on East Ross Lane, he said.
In addition, Vermilion Advantage is working with a light industrial project looking at Tilton.
Vermilion Advantage President and CEO Mike Marron said Georgetown Wood and Pallet Co. is possibly looking to expand into Tilton.
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