Plainfield mayor John Argoudelis delivered his first State of the Village address before the Plainfield Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce. “2022 was another year of great accomplishments for the village,” said Mayor Argoudelis.

Highlights of the address included a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris last June when she accentuated Illinois’ efforts to address the maternal health crisis. She also addressed the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade, curtailing abortion rights for women in many states.

Plainfield also hosted The Great Race for the first time. The race features more than 120 vintage cars and stretches from Rhode Island to North Dakota.

“We made the five o’clock twice in one week,” joked Argoudelis.

The economic news was mostly positive. Despite rising interest rates, Argoudelis said over 400 new homes were permitted in Plainfield last year. Increasing industrial development also contributed to diversifying Plainfield’s tax base from 1 percent to 5.31 percent last year. He said this takes some of the tax burden off homeowners.

But the closure of Wal-Mart on Route 59 and 127th Street was a big loss. “They had been a very valuable part of our community,” he said. “But we are looking at an opportunity to do something new.”

He also dismissed rumors about how the former Wal-Mart site might be repurposed, clarifying that it will not become a retail warehouse or low-income housing site. According to the mayor, the village has already heard from potential business tenants interested in the site.

The grand opening of Pace’s maintenance garage and storage facility next to the park-and-ride on Van Dyke Road was also cause for celebration last year. The $52 million, 260,000 square foot facility was constructed by Pace. “So many people in our community are able to use Pace to get to work and get to where they need to go,” he said.

The new Rod Baker Ford dealership on Route 59 east of 135th Street is nearly double the size of the facility on Route 30, and Hawk Auto Group has filed an application to rezone a site on Route 59 to open up to four new dealerships. “This will represent the first new car dealership in Plainfield in my lifetime,” Argoudelis said.

The mayor also touted the village’s downtown area as a fun destination in both summer and winter.

Plainfield is growing at a rate of 1.13 percent annually and its population is now 44,762, an increase of 3.47 percent since the last census in 2020. The median household income is $130,614. Plainfield’s population was just 4,500 in 1990 and 28,000 in 2000.

“People are continually attracted to our quality of life. More people are choosing Plainfield as a place to grow and thrive,” the mayor said. “It’s a great place to raise families, work and shop.”