April 30–Plans are in the works to construct a hotel, truck stop and two restaurants in South Jacksonville.
One Main Properties in Decatur is looking at building the businesses on land north of the Comfort Inn and south of the Holiday Inn Express and Qik-n-EZ convenience store, according to Village President Gordon Jumper.
He said the truck stop/restaurant project would include construction of an access road west of South Main Street at Moeller Road and extend west to Magnolia Drive. The hotel and restaurant project would be built north of the Comfort Inn and include construction of an extension of Southbrooke Road west of South Main Street.
Jumper said he did not know what companies the developer is working with on the projects. An attorney for One Main Properties was unavailable for comment.
“The reason the village was approached about these projects was because these properties are in the village’s Tax Increment Financing District and are predicated on the village’s agreement for a redevelopment plan reimbursement,” Jumper said.
It will be important for village trustees to focus quickly on this development opportunity, Jumper said.
South Jacksonville’s TIF District was established in 2001 and is designed primarily to reimburse developers for costs such as roads, sewers and waterlines and land improvements, such as parking lots.
“The clear advantage for the village with this construction is the increased sales tax revenue from the truck stop and the restaurants and the additional hotel/motel tax revenue from a fourth hotel in the village,” Jumper said.
Construction could begin by this summer on both projects, according to Jumper.
Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.
