The plans to development an intermodal rail yard and truck terminal between Crete and Beecher with potential for industrial development in the future has gained momentum.

Despite the location's close proximity, developers say the intermodal yard has nothing to do with the proposed Peotone airport. During an interview with Crete Mayor Mike Einhorn, he too, said CenterPoint Properties was unaware of the location of the proposed airport.

Following unanimous approval of the zoning for the facility on Thursday, March 1, and despite widespread objections by many of the 200 people present, the Village of Crete is expected to approve the project at a village board meeting March 19.

CenterPoint Properties has been purchasing property in an effort to build an 850-acre intermodal business park east of and along the Union Pacific/CSX tracks between Crete and Beecher.

The facility could spur up to five million square feet of future office and warehousing facilities with 550 acres being dedicated to the intermodal yard.

After the first and second phases are completed, the yard is expected to encompass an area southward from Crete-Monee Road on the north to Ashland Avenue on the west. Its southern boundary is at Goodenow Road.

Job creation is one of the main selling points of the project, with more than 300 jobs available in the rail yard, over 1,000 in the adjacent industrial parks, and more than 1,000 temporary construction jobs.

CenterPoint Properties also touts increased tax revenue from future industrial development and long-term economic expansion for Crete and beyond.

The engineering and permitting of the first phase of project is expected to take place in July of this year, with the first dirt moved early in the fall.

The Intermodal terminal could put an additional 500 trucks onto area roadways. It is expected to be built in phases.

The total size of the Crete project is much smaller than the Intermodal Center at Elwood, which initially encompassed 770 acres. The CenterPoint Intermodal Center at Elwood was one of several the uses for the former Joliet Arsenal when it was converted from the U.S. Army.

It is considered one of the largest private developments ever undertaken in the United States. It brought together more than a dozen public agencies and private industry. 

What started as a 770-acre intermodal yard has swelled to more than 2,200 acres with up to 12 million square feet of building space.

With up to $1 billion of total investment, some of the customers include the BNSF (Burlington-Northern/Santa Fe) Railroad, Wal-Mart, DSC Logistics, Georgia Pacific, Potlatch, Sanyo, Partners Warehouse, California Cartage, and Maersk.

Crete officials are reportedly discussing potential incentives with CenterPoint.

A state law passed last year enables local municipalities to offer tax breaks and other incentives to developers of intermodal terminals. Municipalities can more easily designate intermodal facilities as TIF (Tax Increment Financing) districts. Once included in a TIF district, the increase in taxing value of the industrial land is diverted for a number of years for the purpose of the developer’s use within the district. It is often used for infrastructure and other project costs.