ABOVE: At the Wednesday morning groundbreaking for the new Chick-Fil-A (the old Red Lobster site) at 3217 N. Vermilion – Jason Gigot from Solution’s Group Real Estate, Chick-Fil-A Midwest Region External Affairs Consultant Katie Perkerson, Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr; Jason Hill from Chick-Fil-A Inc’s development construction team, and Vermilion Advantage President and CEO Amy Brown.
When Danville’s Red Lobster closed down in May of 2024, the big question being asked was “What kind of food establishment might replace it?” Then, late last year, the Danville City Council approved an agreement with Solutions Group Real Estate; with the city to reimburse $300,000 in development costs.
Once the tear down of the old Red Lobster building was done; and as Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr pointed out; paid for by the developer; the date came for Wednesday (June 3rd) morning’s groundbreaking. Mayor Williams says he’s hoping for a Chick-Fil-A opening in the fall, and says that the investment made by the city into this project should be made up quickly; and that the $300,000 from the city was not for the building process.
AUDIO: So this is not for building, this is literally for them opening a store in our community. We did not pay for the demolition cost, they did. So that’s $80,000 that we saved. Chick-Fil-As generally do over $9 million a year in sales. At 3.75%, 2.75% of local tax, and 1% of food and beverage tax; we will recoup that money in one year; within one year of them opening.
(1st and 2nd pictures) A Buffalo Construction truck sits parked nearby while the Chick-Fil-A groundbreaking takes place. (3rd picture) Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council union members protest in front of 3217 North Vermilion.
But while the groundbreaking was taking place behind the 3217 North Vermilion location, the Mid-American Carpenters Regional Council was holding a union protest, complete with a blown up rat, out front along Vermilion Street. District Director Riki Dial told CIMG that other new Chick-Fil-As in central Illinois have hired local labor, but not this time.
AUDIO: We think is a shame, that the developer, out of Northbrook, IL; is hiring a contractor from Louisville, KY; Buffalo Construction out of Louisville, KY. We think it’s a shame that we are using local taxpayer dollars to pay for a project, and hire an out of state contractor that’s going to take our local tax dollars back to Kentucky with them.
Dial stated that continued union protests would most likely occur on random key dates; and that the day of the groundbreaking was certainly one of them.
FOR MORE SEE THIS NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY https://www.news-gazette.com/business/chick-fil-a-breaks-ground-in-danville-with-local-union-protest/article_c7d03a9f-4955-409a-85c3-c64af9b835d8.html
