FAQ2020-03-31T22:55:04+00:00
What makes Compass Business Park different?2020-03-31T22:33:02+00:00

  • Warehousing and distribution facilities throughout the area have been going up independently all along Route 53 and across the area without any long-term planning.
  • Constructing buildings one at a time in a haphazard manner without a master plan, which has been standard practice, will only create more problems and truck congestion.
  • Compass Business Park is a master-planned solution that meets the growing demand responsibly by building closer to these intermodals and bringing new controls over truck traffic with a dedicated bridge and closed-loop network.
Why build Compass Business Park here? Why not on the highway?2020-03-31T22:32:07+00:00

  • Compass Business Park is proposed for Will County, on this very specific property due to its strategic position in relation to the BNSF and UP intermodals.
  • Neither intermodal is on the highway. In fact, the entrances are more than 2 miles from any expressway. Key to reducing the growth in truck traffic on I-55 and I-80 is strategically connecting the warehousing via a closed loop truck network to the intermodals to capture the back-and-forth container traffic.
What is the timeline?2020-03-31T22:31:16+00:00

  • On Feb. 24, the Joliet Plan Commission considered the annexation application and voted 8-0 to recommend the proposal. Now, the Joliet City Council will consider the proposal. It would be up to the City to determine a date for council members to consider it.
What financial incentives is Northpoint requesting from the City or State?2020-04-08T21:52:41+00:00

  • NorthPoint is not requesting financial incentives from the State and will not seek a TIF or fee waivers from Joliet.
  • In fact, NorthPoint is required to make community enhancement contributions for purposes established by the City.
    • NorthPoint would pay for all the infrastructure to connect Compass Business Park, the internal infrastructure and construction of the bridge to create the closed loop network.
    • NorthPoint would pay for infrastructure improvements (roads and sewers) outside Compass Business Park as a result of its impact.
    • NorthPoint would make $2 million in contributions to the City upon execution of the annexation agreement.
    • Over time, 33 cents per square foot would be assessed on any building permits issued by the City for the project, for an estimated amount of approximately $5.3 million at full build out in Joliet.
    • NorthPoint would contribute 15 acres of land on the site for a future police and firefighter training facility.
    • NorthPoint would be responsible for paying for water and adding capacity if needed (e.g.: construction of a new water tower).
Does NorthPoint control the property for the site?2020-03-31T22:34:02+00:00

  • NorthPoint either owns the land or has the property under contract for the entire site.
Does the Joliet portion represent the entirety of Compass Business Park?2020-03-31T22:28:20+00:00

  • The 1,260 acres that Joliet is considering represents the first phase of Compass Business Park. The entire footprint of the project is planned for more than 2,500 acres.
  • An additional 1,250 acres are in unincorporated Will County, located within the Village of Manhattan’s planning area.
  • Manhattan has expressed an interest in discussing the next phase of the project.
Does NorthPoint own land in Elwood?2020-03-31T22:27:29+00:00

  • NorthPoint owns approximately 190 acres in Elwood east of Route 53. The land is undeveloped and zoned industrial.
  • Northpoint had originally proposed to build Compass Business Park through an annexation agreement with the Village of Elwood, a process that began in 2016.
  • The Village’s Planning & Zoning Commission recommended the plan in 2018, but a proposed hearing on the annexation agreement was canceled by Elwood’s mayor and a public vote never taken.
Is NorthPoint a foreign-owned company?2020-03-31T22:33:54+00:00

  • Among the false statements that have surfaced about NorthPoint is that the company is a foreign-owned corporation.
  • NorthPoint is headquartered in Riverside, Missouri. Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) is located in Edgerton, Kansas.
  • Because the LLC was formed in Missouri, it is known as a “foreign LLC,” according to Kansas state law. In other words, foreign does not mean from another country; it means the business was organized under the laws of another state.

Managing Traffic

What will prevent trucks from accessing local roads?2020-03-31T22:47:45+00:00

  • Compass Business Park will feature a closed loop to contain truck traffic, which will not allow trucks in or out of the site unless traveling via Arsenal Road or the future Houbolt road bridge onto or off of the expressways.
  • The City would not issue any permits without a closed loop in place that would direct trucks in or out of the intermodals. Before any property is annexed, NorthPoint is required to submit an updated traffic impact study to the City.
  • A safe connection via a bridge over Route 53 for trucks is the key for ensuring safety, keeping trucks off local roads and mitigating traffic on I-55 and I-80.
  • Trucks will only enter or exit Compass Business Park by traveling over the bridge, which would not allow access to Route 53 or local roadways.
  • NorthPoint will install barriers and other controls to prevent trucks from entering or exiting the Park any other way.
How will Compass Business Park reduce future truck traffic on I-55, I-80, and Rt. 53?2020-03-31T22:47:03+00:00

  • One of the biggest contributors to freight congestion on local expressways are containers that are delivered to the intermodal by rail and then transported to nearby warehouses via local expressways. Once emptied, those containers are brought back to the intermodals using the same routes.
  • As the number of containers arriving at the BNSF and UP intermodals continues to grow, Compass Business Park, with its direct connection to both intermodals, will eliminate the two-to-four truck trips per container on I-55 or I-80 or Route 53 (or all three routes) to deliver and retrieve each container.
  • Traffic studies show that this will reduce future truck traffic on I-55 and I-80 by up to 40 percent, or between 10 million to 15 million miles per year.
How does the project comply with Will County’s plan to manage truck traffic?2020-03-31T22:46:10+00:00

  • Compass Business Park satisfies all 50 of the Will County Community Friendly Freight Mobility Plan criteria.
  • It supports safe, responsible growth near the Intermodal Cluster, which the plan identified.
Why not wait until the Moving Will County study to be complete?2020-04-08T21:54:38+00:00

  • There will always be another study. That’s why Northpoint has committed (and will be required under the agreement) to funding and conducting on-going traffic impact studies and we will continue to work with the stakeholders. We met early on with CMAP and will continue to work with them.
  • Because Compass Business Park is a closed loop that funnels the traffic to desired locations, it meets criteria of recommendations calling for a direct connection onto local expressways.
  • In fact, NorthPoint has committed to conducting a traffic study every three years, or for every 3 million square feet of building space constructed, using actual counts to measure any changes and determine if other road improvements are necessary.
Where is the location of the bridge?2020-03-31T22:44:28+00:00

  • The exact location has not been determined and NorthPoint is exploring locations. The development agreement with the City will call for NorthPoint to develop a closed loop and privately fund a bridge over Route 53 to prevent trucks from accessing local roads.
Is there litigation concerning a bridge near Elwood?2020-03-31T22:43:06+00:00

  • The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) closed Walter Strawn Drive at Route 53 citing safety concerns involving trucks crossing the UP railroad tracks at the intersection with Route 53.
  • The ICC stated it could re-open the crossing if certain conditions were met, including the construction of a grade separation, or bridge.
  • NorthPoint believes the agreement the Village of Elwood signed to entitle its property in Elwood requires the Village to work with the property owner to provide access to the intermodals as long as NorthPoint performs the work and pays for the cost.
  • NorthPoint will be required construct a bridge over Rt. 53 at Walter Strawn Drive or at another location.
How will workers access Compass Business Park?2020-03-31T22:41:31+00:00

  • There are multiple employee entrance/exit points from all four directions and from multiple roads to prevent back-ups and delays.
Do you have any traffic studies?2020-03-31T22:40:36+00:00

  • An updated, comprehensive traffic study is being prepared and will be submitted to the City of Joliet, Will County, and IDOT.
  • Also, NorthPoint has committed to revising the study after the completion of the sooner of every 3-million square feet of building space built or every three years. The on-going study will use actual traffic counts to measure any changes and determine if other road improvements are necessary.
Will Compass Business Park interfere with the Abraham Lincoln Cemetery?2020-03-31T22:39:46+00:00

  • The proposed Compass Business Park bridge over Walter Strawn Drive is located more than 2,000 feet to the northeast of the cemetery and is buffered by a warehouse that the Village of Elwood permitted for development.
  • In addition, our closed loop network specifically keeps trucks off Route 53, which will improve vehicular safety, reduce truck traffic and ease the flow of funeral processions at the cemetery.
  • We have met with cemetery officials and volunteers from the cemetery to hear their concerns and provide solutions. They have expressed their concerns with how No To NorthPoint members have portrayed the situation and have made clear that they do not represent the views of cemetery officials.
  • We have offered to work with the cemetery to develop, construct and install: 1) truck turnarounds to avoid trucks entering the cemetery to turnaround; 2) barriers to prevent trucksfrom entering the cemetery; and 3) improved wayfinding signage in multiple languages to enable drivers to find their way without having to enter the property.
  • In addition, NorthPoint has agreed that any development in the southern portion of the property would occur no less than 2,600 feet from the border of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. – or approximately a half mile away.

Benefiting the Community and City

What will the buildings look like?2020-03-31T23:00:41+00:00

  • NorthPoint will follow all of the aesthetic and landscaping codes of the City of Joliet and has offered a series of additional upgrades which will be detailed in the annexation agreement.
  • One such upgrade is that NorthPoint will install an “office-type” façade on all four corners of large cross-dock buildings so the buildings will look attractive when viewed from any direction.
  • Another upgrade is exterior “meet-and-eat” areas on all four corners of cross-dock buildings, and additional areas in the middle of long buildings. These areas will include heavy landscaping, pavers, and exterior furniture to create a “park-like” environment for employees and visitors.
What revenue will the City and School Districts receive from Compass Business Park?2020-04-08T21:57:17+00:00

  • The park would generate approximately $18.7 million in annual local property tax revenue upon full build out including:
    • At full build out, Compass Business Park would generate approximately $3 million annually in property taxes to the City of Joliet.
    • Nearly $12 million annually to local schools including: $6.2 million for Elwood Schools, $5.2 million for Joliet Township Schools and $610,000 for Joliet Jr. College. The park would not add a significant number of new students.
    • $1.2 million for Will County; $900,000 for Joliet Park District; $590,000 for Jackson Township and $400,000 for Joliet Library District.
  • Compass Business Park would also generate new sales tax and utility tax revenue for the City, as well as revenue from water and sanitary service.
  • Compass Business Park will pay to install all water and sewer lines necessary to serve the Park and will also pay more than $1.4 million in water and sewer connection fees to the City of Joliet.
What other economic benefits will be generated by Compass?2020-04-08T21:57:33+00:00

  • A report by the University of Illinois’ Regional Economic Applications Laboratory estimates that the project will generate $32 billion in total economic output during the first 10 years of operations and $5 billion annually after full build out.
What is NorthPoint’s presence in Illinois?2020-04-08T22:31:07+00:00

  • NorthPoint’s local office is in Downers Grove.
  • NorthPoint has been working closely with the City of Chicago to redevelop the abandoned Republic Steel site on the City’s Southeast Side, which will create a $170 million, 2.2 million square foot state-of-the-art industrial park that will complement NorthPoint’s neighboring supplier park serving the Ford assembly plant. The first new building is nearly complete at this site and has already been leased.
  • In Metro East, near St. Louis, NorthPoint has recently begun developing Gateway Tradeport, a $312 million state-of-the-art warehouse and logistics center, creating 4,000 permanent jobs at full build out.
Will residents pay additional costs for NorthPoint infrastructure?2020-03-31T22:57:04+00:00

  • NorthPointwould pay for and install all necessary infrastructure and, in addition, raise between $2.5 to $3.5 million in water and sewer connection fees while using less than one-sixth the amount of services compared to a residential development.
  • NorthPoint would pay all permit fees, impact fees and property taxes and make up-front payments to the City of Joliet to offset future maintenance costs.
What about the recapture provision of the agreement?2020-03-31T22:56:14+00:00

  • It’s a fairness provision that is common in development agreements. Northpoint is investing in infrastructure to connect city services (e.g. city water/sewer) to the project. If this infrastructure benefits another property owner or developer near the site in the future, NorthPoint would be fairly reimbursed for providing that benefit to improve the property of the other developer.
What about access to farm fields?2020-03-31T22:51:46+00:00

  • Northpoint has agreed to install emergency gates for first responders. These gates can also provide access for agricultural equipment.
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