The way things were: Braidwood Year in Review 2022

It was a busy year in the city of Braidwood, with deals struck, programs kicking off, and the city police department welcoming a new four-legged officer.

Here, a look at a few of the headlines that kept people in Braidwood talking in 2022.

Bauer and D’Orazio coming to town

A major development is slated to be built along EZ Street over the course of the next two years.

In June, the council approved a redevelopment agreement with Bauer & D’Orazio, LLC, to bring D’Orazio Ford and Arnie Bauer Chevrolet into the subdivision at EZ Street and Division Street, which is located inside the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) III district.

The agreement includes a total of 64 acres of land that will be purchased by the City of Braidwood for $1.8 million, and conveyed to Bauer & D’Orazio, LLC for construction of a new Ford dealership and a new Chevrolet dealership. The D’Orazio Ford dealership is expected to be built on 11.7 acres, while the Arnie Bauer Chevrolet dealership will take up 8 acres. The new dealerships will sit adjacent to Camping World and Warren’s Collision Center.

The deal includes TIF eligible incentives up to $4.765 million, including a real estate tax incitement reimbursement, municipal sales tax reimbursement, in calendar years 2025 through 2034, reimbursement for qualifying construction projects, and waiving of all permit fees and utility tap on fees for the two dealerships. The city will also construct a left turn lane onto north Division Street, which is currently a right in/right out only.

As far as the city’s $1.8 million property purchase, funds will come from the issuance of debt certificates. This month, the city approved a special service area to help capture tax revenue to repay those certificates.

Per the agreement, both dealerships must be completed on or before Dec. 24, 2024.

Truck stop, truck parking lot approved

Despite some calls for the city to rethink development that caters to truck traffic, two businesses that serve the big rigs earned approval in 2022.

The first is a truck parking lot in the Route 66 Subdivision, at the corner of Route 53 and Division Street.

In April the city council approved a plan from the property owner to consolidate the subdivision’s 12 lots into one and vacate Enterprise Drive.

The site is being developed into a gravel parking lot for up to 200 trucks. The developer has submitted a site plan to the city, to include fencing, a berm, and expansion of the retention pond.

The developer, Secure Truck Line, Inc. of Addison, said parking sites will also be available for lease for RVs, campers, or boats.

Residents expressed concerns over the potential for more truck traffic, noise, pollution, and damage to roads. To date, the business is not up and running.

The second truck related business approved is a truck stop set to be built at Kennedy Road and Kankakee Road just off the Reed Road interchange with I-55.

That development is set to include an approximate 24,000 square foot truck stop providing gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as a hotel with 22 lodging suites, a locker room with private showers, a laundry facility, 10 gaming machines, retail/convenience store sales, and multiple restaurant developments. The site plan also includes 83 standard parking stalls, four ADA parking stalls, and 83 truck parking stalls.

The site is being developed by Sam Makin, who owns the property under the name Braidwood Truck Stop LLC.

In addition to truck traffic and noise, concerned residents said they were worried about the potential for crime, as well as what a truck stop would mean for property values for homes close to the project.

City leaders said the city already has signs with flags marking that Kennedy Road is not a truck route, and will add additional signage when the truckstop is built.

Early childhood program comes to Reed-Custer

An idea first floated for discussion in the spring came to fruition by the end of the year, as the Reed-Custer School District added a new early childhood center to the district, providing an educational child care environment for district employees.

In April, just once month after first discussing the idea with members of the board of education, Superintendent Mark Mitchell told the board that the next steps had already been taken to institute the program, which will not only provide a valuable service, but could help retain staff who might otherwise choose to leave to raise their young children.

Infants and toddlers up to 18 months are housed in a room at RCMS, while ages 2-5 utilize the old cafeteria at the high school.

The process to get the center improved included working closely with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The agency is charged with overseeing licensed daycare providers in the state. Opening the center followed a specific timeline, including market evaluation, review of standards and codes, application for a license, site evaluation, creation of a business plan, program development plans, and licensing.

The center officially opened in October.

To Zoo or not to Zoo

The animals of the Braidwood Zoo remain safe in their pen.

But, city officials said negotiations are still in the works to bring commercial business to the site of the Braidwood Zoo sometime in the next year. The expectation is a commercial/retail business including a drive thru lane, utilizing the site entrances both off Front Street and Oak Street.

City leaders have expressed interest in relocating the animals of the Braidwood Zoo. But by year’s end, the only movement was that the animals would continue to stay put in their “cage.”

The Braidwood Zoo, an enclosed area holding five animal sculptures created by late Essex artist Jack Barker.

The sculptures, which include a giraffe, bull, cow, elephant, and polar bear, were purchased by local businesses from Barker’s estate after his passing and donated to the city, then placed at the site in 2012.

In May of 2022, in a 3-1 vote, the council approved a resolution authorizing the sale of surplus real estate that makes up the site.

City leaders said commercial development was always the plan for the site, which was first acquired by the city back in 2008.

The potential development is expected to incorporate the entire property as a combination of the two lots.

The properties—151 N. Front St. and 305 E. Oak St.—were acquired by the city in 2008 and 2011, respectively, and in 2012 the combined sites were turned into the zoo and picnic area and roadside attraction. The animals were purchased by local businesses from Barker’s estate after his passing, and the fencing around the zoo was provided by Exelon, now Constellation Energy.

A flagpole was added in 2016.

In 2013, Braidwood was awarded $116,800 from the state’s Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development program (OSLAD). However, after the award, the state began putting more and more conditions on the funding, which the city couldn’t meet. Therefore the grant funding never arrived, despite an OSLAD sign being placed on the pavilion.

Last spring, commissioners signed off on a resolution to sell the property, but have not announced who the potential buyer may be or what specifically will be developed at the site.

Four legged officer sworn in

On March 22, Public Health and Safety Commissioner James Mikel told members of the City Council that a new police dog would soon be joining the ranks of the BPD. And, the commissioner added, the new unit is coming to Braidwood at no cost to the tax payers, thanks to a program through Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow’s office.

The K9, training and equipment were all paid for Glasgow’s office.

Glasgow’s office has previously purchased drug-detection K-9 dogs for seven police departments throughout Will County to assist local law enforcement efforts in removing dangerous drugs from communities, including departments in Wilmington, Elwood, Shorewood, Channahon, and Rockdale.

Glasgow said the K9s provided to police departments have helped take dealers off Will County streets and have helped save lives. The dogs also help prevent the scourge of drug use by assisting local schools in monitoring for the presence of drugs and providing an opportunity for intervention and prevention.

The dog, who was named Nuke, and handler Officer Phil Tyree focus on narcotics and drug detection.