Overview
- All but one council member, including Mayor Terry D’Arcy, voted to approve the Joliet Technology Center after a week of extensive public comment.
- The campus is planned for roughly 795–800 acres near Rowell and Bernhard Roads by the Chicagoland Speedway.
- Backers tout a roughly $20 billion investment, a $100 million developer payment to the city, an estimated $2 billion-plus in local tax revenue over 30 years, 7,000–10,000 construction jobs, and about 700 permanent positions.
- The plan envisions up to 24 buildings, with the first structure targeted for 2028 and operations projected by 2030.
- Residents objected over water use, electric demand, noise, and costs, while ComEd said the project would not raise customer bills and the developer said water would be needed mainly for commissioning rather than routine cooling.