Manhattan Shares Email About NorthPoint Development

MANHATTAN, IL — After the unanimous approval of the Compass Business Park by the Joliet planning commission, the village of Manhattan has shared further information about communications between NorthPoint and Manhattan representatives.

An email from village administrator Kevin Sing to village board members was shared on the village's development portal site Feb. 24.

In a Feb. 20 email, Sing states NorthPoint has confirmed that, similar to Joliet, the company is not requesting tax incentives.

"This means that NorthPoint would be paying full taxes on the site," Sing writes.

NorthPoint would also be required to fund infrastructure costs associated with the development. Sing said an updated traffic study is also being completed by NorthPoint, which will then be reviewed by the village's traffic engineer.

In the email, Sing also reminded that the village of Manhattan's boundary agreement with Joliet prohibits the village from objecting to Joliet's plans.

"Our next step will be to have staff and our planning consultant meet with a representative of the developer to work on zoning principals," Sing wrote in the email.

More Patch coverage about NorthPoint:

• NorthPoint Wins Unanimous Approval From Joliet Plan Commission
• Mayor: Joliet Receptive To Learning About NorthPoint
• Congressman Bobby Rush Endorses NorthPoint For Joliet
• Anti-NorthPoint Group Plans Town Hall In Manhattan
• Northpoint Expresses Interest In Annexing To Manhattan: Village

The proposed project has met fierce opposition from local residents including a grassroots group "Say No To NorthPoint."

In Joliet, the project will now move forward to the Joliet City Council. Joliet Patch reported that at the plan commission meeting representatives for NorthPoint suggested that when the Compass Business Park is fully built, it would result in the creation of 10,000 new jobs. There would be 2,650 truck trips into the business park and 2,650 truck trips out "in a full business day," NorthPoint representatives told the plan commission.

There is no agenda item for the proposal yet for the Manhattan village board or the Manhattan planning and zoning commission.