Where there’s pain, there’s gain

KANKAKEE – When it comes to most government or business developments, sometimes residents directly affected by the venture will say, “Not in my backyard!”

That was not necessarily the case at Tuesday’s informational meeting on Kankakee’s eastside, hosted by the city of Kankakee and the Illinois Department of Transportation on the eventual $100 million rebuild of Interstate 57’s 312 interchange at East Court Street.

Yet the extensive project will be affecting the backyards of approximately 29 homeowners on North Hammes Avenue which borders the west side of I-57.

Mary Taylor has lived at her house at 714 N. Hammes Ave. for more than five decades. Her mom still lives with her, and the state will be acquiring a portion of her property, including part of her garage, for the necessary easements for the expanded I-57.

Taylor said she received a letter from the state, regarding acquiring a portion of her property, but she was upset no one came to talk to her.

“I don’t know the proper word for that, but you have invaded on us,” she said. “... You made a decision without us. We’ve been there since 1970. I grew up in this house, and we still garden in that area. You’re not only taking the garden, you’re moving into the garage as part of the easement.”

At this point, Taylor just wishes the state would buy her entire property.

“We’re at an age now where we want to travel,” she said. “We all are retired. Just pay us off, take the whole house.”

The easements are needed by the state because I-57 will be widened with the new intersection to make room for future use if the four-lane freeway might be expanded to six lanes.

IDOT will also be constructing sound walls which will line both sides of the interstate. The walls will be 16 to 18 feet tall and will provide some privacy for the residents as well as cutting down on the noise.

Phase 2

IDOT is now in phase 2 of the $96.5 million project, and that includes the land acquisition that will be needed for construction.

The next step will be bid letting, and that likely won’t happen until the first quarter of 2026.

Construction will begin in early 2027, and it will need three construction seasons to complete – which means 2030.

Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis said this land acquisition is a necessary step, and he underlined the fact that no structures will be removed in the process. He addressed the crowd of approximately 40 – the majority of whom were residents of North Hammes Avenue.

“The city is behind this,” he said. “We are committed to this. We also know it’s going to cause some pain and grief, and not just with the land acquisition. … It’s going to take some time.”

Curtis added the rebuild of the interchange is long overdue and is the only one in Kankakee County that hasn’t been improved.

“It’s probably the one that needs the most work, in my opinion,” he said.

3 reasons for rebuild

Curtis added that 312 needs to be redone for several reasons, and he focused on three main points – infrastructure improvement, economic development and public safety.

“For just infrastructure improvement and usability for traffic, trucks, vehicles getting on and off, for economic development, we are making a concentrated effort to change the appearance and the availability of products here on East Court Street,” he said.

Curtis again stressed the need for a “real grocery store” on the east side, that includes fruits, vegetables and a deli.

“I’m going to throw everything I can at it to see if we can get that done as long as I’m mayor,” he said.

Public safety remains a top priority for the city administration, and Curtis said the new interchange will help with new lighting technology and landscaping as well as continued retail development to compliment Ricky Rockets gas station and food offerings.

“You feel safe,” he said. “You feel comfortable when you’re in a newer area, and that’s what we’re trying to do. The east side of Kankakee is an older area with older infrastructure, and we’re trying to upgrade that through roads, through lights, even the simplest little things, of bringing the Christmas lights all the way from downtown out to I-57.”

Curtis said he wants the east side of Kankakee to feel that pride, and the city is spending some additional Tax Increment Financing money to make the new interchange stand out from the others with the I-57 overpass having “Kankakee” spelled out along with the city logo included in the unique design along with enhanced lighting and streetscaping.

IDOT has developed a design for what is known as a single-point urban interchange. This design is needed to fit the construction into an area where there is limited space.

The 312 interchange qualifies as having space restrictions. This type of interchange helps move large volumes of traffic through a limited amount of space.

The new interchange would replace the commonly-designed, but more costly, diamond-shape interchange. These interchanges consume much more space and more material.

Curtis said how much the city will have to contribute is to be determined, but it likely will exceed $1 million.

“We want it to stand out for economic development and for pride and ownership,” he said, noting that it’s the halfway point between Chicago and Champaign for motorists traveling to the University of Illinois.

“I want them to get off on East Court Street and get their gas and get their McDonald’s Coke,” Curtis said. “I don’t know, maybe stop for a little bit longer to check out what we got going on in our city.

“Selfishly, while I want our region and community to do well, I want Kankakee to do the best. I want them to bypass the other exits and get off of this exit, because this one stands out. So we’ve got some things that look a little different than any other exit that you see up and down I-57.”

Looking forward to improvements

Christine Williams lives on North Hammes Avenue but on the west side of the street, so she won’t be directly affected.

She’s concerned about her property taxes going up, but she agrees with Curtis that the neighborhood needs a grocery store.

“What’s the plan for economic development other than the trucking?” she asked. “I really wish that was a Pete’s [Fresh Market] Grocery store instead of Ricky Rockets. ... If you’re going to bring one, bring one with quality food, not poor quality.”

Williams said she likes the Pete’s Fresh Market on Lincoln Highway in Matteson.

Joyce Rush, who lives on North Hammes Avenue said she’s not real happy with what the state is offering for her property. It’s less than $1,000 for approximate one-tenth of an acre. She’s lived there since 2001.

“It’s really not that much that they’re taking, but praying if I do sign [the agreement], they don’t go back and take more,” she said. “... My husband, he just passed away in December, so now I’m handling everything by myself.”

The homeowners have 60 days to negotiate with the state, and Rush said she’s going to ask for little bit more money.