Kane County Has 4 ‘Grade A Prime’ Locations For USDA Headquarters
Kane County is a “prime” location for a gigantic new home for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and/or the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Kane County Development and Community Services Department Director Mark VanKerkhoff told the Kane County Agriculture Committee on Thursday that four Kane County sites have made the list of finalists for a headquarters that would house the USDA research serice or the NIFA, “as either separate sites or in one location.”
The need for a proposed ERS facility would be up to 70,000 square feet to house up to 260 employees. The need for a proposed NIFA facility would be approximately 90,000 square feet to house approximately 360 employees.
Here are the four sites that have made the short list:
Algonquin Corporate Campus – Algonquin, Illinois 60102
Located at the intersection of Boyer Road and Corporate Parkway, the campus is 4.5 miles north of full interchange at Randall Road and I-90. Randall Road Parkway entrance with full signal access. It is two miles from the Longmeadow Parkway Fox River Bridge.
Developers can build to suit, with opportunities from 10,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet. Lots can be combined for larger parcels.
Campana Building – 901 N. Batavia Ave, Batavia, Illinois 60510
A charming historic building with mixed-use zoning, a lot of natural light and room to grow, the Campana Building’s flexible design is perfect for light retail, industrial showroom and/or office and warehouse.
The building has 24-hour access and shared parking. The building is located 40 miles west of Chicago on Route 31 and Fabyan Parkway along the Fox River within walking distance of downtown Batavia and downtown Geneva.
Pipefitter’s Union Building – 1295 Butterfield Road, Aurora, Illinois 60502
(CREDIT: Google Maps)
With a lot size of 9.52 acres, this meeting/assembly facility is complete with full kitchen, a 5,460-square-foot first floor office, a 27,539-square-foot second floor office, a 27,026 square foot basement training room and a 6,400-square-foot, two-story, 70-seat lecture hall with audio/video equipment.
The elevator has a 2,500 pound capacity. The floor plan includes several classrooms.
It is a beautifully designed building fronting Butterfield Road (IL Route 56), just off the I- 88/Farnsworth Interchange and fronting Butterfield Road and has close proximity to Aurora’s on light high speed fiber optics.
Kane County Owned Property
(CREDIT: Google Maps)
Expressions of Interest
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently announced the initial down-select list of 136 “Expressions of Interest” received from parties in 35 states vying for the development.
Sixty-seven Expressions of Interest remain under consideration.
“The announcement of this middle list shows that we are committed to the important missions of these agencies and transparency in our selection process,” Perdue said.
“USDA will make the best choice for our employees and customers,” he added. “Relocation will help ensure that USDA is the most effective, most efficient, and most customer-focused agency in the federal government, allowing us to be closer to our stakeholders and move our resources closer to our customers.”
For this initial down-select, USDA applied a set of guiding principles against the Expressions of Interest locations including USDA travel requirements, labor force statistics, work hours most compatible with all USDA office schedules.
In the initial pitch to the USDA, Vankerkhoff explained some of the advantages of choosing a Kane County site.
“Kane County is home to 30 unique municipalities with diverse populations, a skilled and adaptable workforce, high tech infrastructure, highly ranked schools, community colleges and universities, five hospitals, cultural and fine arts opportunities, and an urban standard of living in close proximity to suburban and rural life,” he said.
“Kane County is proud of its agricultural community and boasting some of the most productive soil in the world. Kane County is a leader in preserving farmland through protective agricultural easements and working with the Kane County Farm Bureau and other partners to promote specialty crop production and community access to foods.”
