ROMEOVILLE – The ownership group of the new Romeoville Toyota has received the go-ahead to break ground sometime this fall on its Weber Road dealership.

The nearly 47,000-square-foot building will be built on 5.8 acres at the southwest corner of Weber Road and Grand Haven Circle. It will include a showroom, sales area, service areas and office space.

Romeoville Mayor John Noak said the new dealership broadens the village’s marketplace and like most dealerships, will bring in great sales tax revenue proportionate to the size of the lot. He said there is still substantial space on Weber Road ready for development, and car dealerships can anchor a commercial corridor.

“Car dealerships tend to be generators of economic activity,” Noak said.

Romeoville trustees approved earlier this year an economic incentive agreement for the village’s first new car dealership, which will be owned and operated by Thomas Auto Group – the owners of Thomas Toyota on Larkin Avenue in Joliet. Under terms of the incentive deal, the new dealership will be named Romeoville Toyota.

The new dealership will be about 5 miles north of the existing Thomas Toyota in Joliet. Efforts by The Herald-News to reach Thomas Auto Group in the past have been unsuccessful and were again Tuesday.

It was news to Joliet officials when they learned in February that Thomas was moving to Romeoville via Noak's State of the Village address. Joliet leaders had been discussing with Thomas for more than a year a sales tax incentive deal that would allow for expansion of the Larkin Avenue location.

James Haller, Joliet's director of community and economic development, said after the announcement of the move that Thomas Auto Group told Joliet during negotiations it was under pressure from at least one of the car manufacturers to expand or open a location closer to an interstate. Days after the Romeoville news, Joliet learned the Nissan dealership will stay at the Larkin Avenue location.

Under terms of the Romeoville incentive agreement, the village will reimburse the dealership 70 percent of sales tax revenue collected for the first five years the business is operational in Romeoville.

During years six through 10, the sales tax rebate rate will be 60 percent. Between the 10th and 30th years, the rate will fall to 50 percent. The total reimbursement amount will not exceed $8.2 million.

The Romeoville board has also previously approved a 10-year sponsorship rights deal with Romeoville Toyota that allows the dealership to sponsor an athletic field or court of its choice in the Edward Hospital Athletic and Events Center at 55 Phelps Ave. The village will collect a sponsorship fee of $50,000 to be paid in equal installments of $5,000 per year.