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Greetings~
What a flurry of good news we've seen coming out of the Metro East over the past couple of weeks. Coverage of the findings of the Illinois Route 3 study reinforce what a significant economic engine the corridor is for our region; over half a billion dollars is set to be invested in infrastructure improvements in Southwestern Illinois; and a series of other multi-million dollar private investments are in various stages across the region. And, to cap it all off, we celebrated the official presentation of the Abilene Trophy for our region's support of Scott Air Force Base.
Read on for all the details.
Have a great week!
Ellen
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Illinois Route 3 businesses generate $20 billion in revenue (St. Louis Business Journal, June 11, 2013)
The findings of the recently released community impact assessment for the Illinois Route 3 Corridor were spotlighted by St. Louis Business Journal this past week. Commissioned by the Leadership Council, the study revealed that the combined direct and indirect impact of the businesses in the corridor includes $20 billion in revenue generated annually, more than 215,000 jobs and payrolls totaling $9.2 billion. The see all the highlights from the study, visit www.leadershipcouncilswil.com. (Read more)
IDOT multi-year transportation program includes major emphasis on interstate bridge safety (Illinois Business Journal, June 2013)
The Illinois Department of Transportation will invest $9.53 million in existing bridges and roads across the state over the next six years through its "Transforming Transportation for Tomorrow" program. The Illinois Business Journal reports that $627 million of those funds will be devoted to repairing and improving infrastructure in Southwestern Illinois. (Read more)
Former Fairview Heights Kmart, shopping center coming down soon (Belleville News-Democrat, June 10, 2013)
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, plans for a new $32.4 million retail center in Fairview Heights are moving forward. The new center will be built on the former shopping center site that is located at North Illinois Street and Lincoln Trail. The Kmart building, which sits on the site, will soon be razed, with deconstruction of most of the shopping center to follow. The new Fairview City Centre will open in 2016, with current tenants Petco and Office Max remaining, Sports Authority relocating there from Fairview Heights Plaza and the other three spaces still being marketed.
Expansion job completed at Gateway Commerce (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 14, 2013)
Leadership Council member Contegra Construction has completed a 482,00-square-foot expansion of the Westway I distribution center at Gateway Commerce Center. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the $20 million expansion will allow for an undisclosed consumer products company to consolidate its operations. (Read more)
Independent living facility going up in Alton (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 7, 2013)
 A $2 million independent living facility is coming to Alton and is expected to open in winter 2014, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 10,900-square-foot Amy's Crossing, located at 1900 Brown St., is being built by Leadership Council member Impact Strategies Inc. ( Read more)
Significant development occurring throughout Southwestern Illinois (Illinois Business Journal, June 2013)
The Illinois Business Journal's June issue features a list of projects in the Metro East that were recently finished, are underway or will start sometime this year. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in these projects, which are located in Alton, Belleville, East Alton, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Highland, Madison, Mascoutah, O'Fallon, Sauget and Shiloh. The full project list can be found in the June issue of the Illinois Business Journal. (Read more)
Belleville City Council approves deal for building demolition and downtown upgrade (Belleville News-Democrat, June 3, 2013)
Ben's Crafts and Floral, a major anchor in downtown Belleville, will be expanding. The Belleville News-Democrat reports that the Belleville City Council voted to approve the sale of two buildings at 116 and 120 E. Main St. to the store's owner for $260,000. The measure also will allow the city to buy a building at 18 S. High St., to be demolished to expand the current city parking lot, and two other parking lots for $199,900. In return, the owner of Ben's has agreed to stay at the site for 10 years, invest $450,000 in his new space and meet specific job creation and sales goals.
Four road projects set to begin in the metro-east (Belleville News-Democrat, June 9, 2013)
The Belleville News- Democrat reports that $5 million from the "Illinois Jobs Now!" program will be used to fund road projects in St. Clair and Madison counties. The projects include $3.9 million in two bridge repair projects, $558,000 to micro-surface Illinois 255 and $486,000 to repair more than 28 miles of I-70. (Read more)
Illinois 255 end in sight (The Alton Telegraph, June 13, 2013)
Work on Illinois 255, which is being headed up by Leadership Council member Keller Construction, is nearing completion. Work started three years ago on the new four-lane section, which runs from Godfrey to New Delhi, and according to the Alton Telegraph, part of the highway will be open in less than two weeks. (Read more) |
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In Other News
Edwardsville ranked No. 1 (The Edwardsville Intelligencer, June 11, 2013)
According to The Edwardsville Intelligencer, Edwardsville has been named the best city for young families in Illinois by NerdWallett.com. The financial site, which offers advice to consumers, released a list ranking Illinois cities based on public schooling, affordability and prosperity/growth outlook. Edwardsville earned the number one spot with 74.35 points, and O'Fallon came in second, with a score of 67.70. (Read more)
St. Louis region honored for support of Scott airmen, families (Belleville News-Democrat, June 11, 2013)
On June 11, the Leadership Council hosted a community event at Scott Field Air Heritage Park to
celebrate our region being named as the winner of the prestigious Abilene trophy for 2012. As reported in the Belleville News-Democrat, representatives from the Abilene Chamber of Commerce were on-hand to officially present the award to the St. Louis region. The event also served as a "thank you" to the many individuals, businesses, organizations and community representatives that shared how they supported the base last year, enabling the Leadership Council to produce a winning entry. The Trophy will be showcased at various locations throughout the metro area during the rest of this year.
To see additional photos from the event, courtesy of the Belleville News-Democrat, please click here.
First Clover Leaf's Terry Grows a standout in Illinois (St. Louis Business Journal, June 7, 2013) 
The St. Louis Business Journal recently featured Leadership Council member First Clover Leaf Bank and Council representative Dennis Terry after the bank doubled its net income in 2012 from 2011 to approximately $4.38 million. The bank's growth makes it a stand-out among commercial banks tracked by the St. Louis Fed, as well as FDIC-insured banks across the nation. Read more to see the St. Louis Business Journal Q&A with Dennis Terry about the bank's growth and future plans in the Metro East. (Read more)
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Contact Information
Ellen Krohne
Executive Director
Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois
618-692-9745
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