Another warehouse project on Route 53 received a green light by a narrow vote from the Joliet City Council.
The council by a vote of 5-3 Tuesday approved a 295,000-square-foot Arcadia Cold Storage facility on 27 acres in the Joliet Logistics Park at Millsdale Road and Route 53.
Citing disapproval of previous warehouse projects that increase truck traffic in the area, councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra said District 5 residents are tired of the congestion in their neighborhood. Ibarra, along with councilman Cesar Guerrero and Mayor Terry D’Arcy voted against recording the final plat of Joliet Logistics Park subdivision.
“I don’t know why my district is so underheard?” Ibarra asked as she cited fumes from diesel and heavy equipment as major concerns for her. “I don’t know what I have to do to have the council and staff know what they are putting my constituents through.
“It is irresponsible of the city to continue to approve this without a good traffic plan,” Ibarra continued.
“Doesn’t this council care about how this is affecting the city.”
A traffic engineer for the developer estimates a peak of nine trucks per hour in the morning and nearly 275 trucks in one week. But Brandon Alviano, development manager with Saxum Real Estate, told the council that the project could bring between 60 and 90 jobs to Joliet with salaries ranging from $40,000 to $180,000.
The issue facing the council Tuesday was that Joliet Logistics Park is on the east side of Route 53 where elected officials previously wanted to ban warehouse projects unless it connects to a “closed loop.” Also, banning warehouse projects in the south end of town could open Joliet to a potential lawsuit as it is already zoned industrial, according to D’Arcy.
The loop that’s expected to be constructed by NorthPoint Development, would consist of a bridge over Route 53 so trucks are not using the highway as they drive between the intermodal yards in Joliet and Elwood. To date, no bridge has yet to be built.
But in 2022, the Joliet City Council lifted the unofficial moratorium in the Joliet Logistics Park to allow a warehouse project with the stipulation that it connects to the future closed loop by June 2025.