This year, O’Fallon, Illinois re-branded itself with a new look and tag line: “Build It Here.”  The new slogan holds weight as it seems that there is construction on every corner as many are choosing to “Build It In O’Fallon.”

City officials Walter Denton, City Administrator, Ted Shekell, Community Development Director, Grant Litteken, Assistant City Administrator, and Justin Randall, Assistant Director of Community Development, sat down to discuss the positive developments on the horizon. The Projects stretch from one end of town to the other. Some $100 million in residential and commercial work was underway in 2019.

The recently completed $300 Million HSHS-St. Elizabeth’s Medical Campus has transformed the town and new commercial development is surrounding the campus, which sits directly at the busy Green Mount Road Exit of Interstate 64. This monumental construction project is paving the way for continued growth. In fact, a new cancer center is under construction next to HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital by Green Mount Enterprises, LLC. Space is being leased to HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois. The expected project completion date is early 2020.

While O’Fallon has experienced tremendous growth over the past ten years, they have their eyes set on the future. TriStar Properties, the Developer of Madison County’s Gateway Commerce Center, is hoping to develop 200-plus acres for warehouses and offices on the north side of I-64 at Exit 21, next to Scott Air Force Base. Zoning and enterprise zone considerations have been approved and much of the infrastructure to the site is in place. The expectations are that work will begin on the major development early in 2020.

Don’t let the excitement of the future detract from O’Fallon recent success. Commercial Growth continued in 2019, among O’Fallon’s big projects were three new hotels – all along Interstate 64. A Marriott Town Place Suites opened early in the year; Hampton Inn was expected to open early in 2020. The Hampton is 101 rooms and is attached to the Regency Conference Center. Across I-64, is a new Fairfield Inn, which will have 108 rooms and be open by summer.

Keystone Place, a senior residential community, is being built along Frank Scott Parkway. It has 152 units of independent, assisted and memory care living. On the north side of town, another senior project, Vantage Point, a community with 46 villa units, 25,000 square feet of office space and 140 units of independent, assisted and memory care, is going up just north of the YMCA on Seven Hills Road.

Aberdeen Village is being built just across Scott-Troy Road from the Metro RecPlex. There, Kappert Construction is building 240 townhome units. Infrastructure is underway now and the site also has three commercial out lots.

Just approved is the Shops of Richland Creek being developed by GBT Development of Nashville, at the corner of Greenmount and Central Park Drive, a 17-acre development with eight retail sites.

Also under construction is Insight Office Park next to Greenmount Road Harley-Davidson, with a planned six buildings and 54,000 square feet of office space. Most of the buildings are constructed and many already have tenants.

Already a Mecca for car sales in the St. Louis area, O’Fallon approved Serra Honda to build a lot for an additional 700 vehicles as well as two dealerships across from its current dealership on Central Park.

O’Fallon continues to promote its downtown and great parks amenities. The City is optimistic that popularity of O’Fallon’s O’Fallon Station and the Downtown District will lead to further growth. And, they are looking forward to the redevelopment of the old Southview Plaza site at Lincoln and Highway 50, which has been razed, and proposals for redevelopment are being entertained.

Printed in the Illinois Business Journal – Year in Review: https://www.ibjonline.com/