The Princeton City Council backed an expansion of the Bureau/Putnam County Area Enterprise Zone to include hundreds of acres of Marquis-owned land near Hennepin, although no specific development project has been proposed yet.

According to city documents, the expansion would add about 764 acres of Marquis-owned property near Hennepin to the enterprise zone.

The expansion is part of a larger request that must be approved by all eight local governments in the zone before it can be submitted to the state.

James Durden of the North Central Illinois Council of Governments spoke to the council on Monday, explaining the approval process behind the expansion while answering questions. NCICG is involved because it serves as the administrator of the zone.

Durden told council members that Marquis approached the Enterprise Zone Board about including the land as it explores creating an industrial park that could provide more than 2,500 acres of development property. After the presentation, the proposal was approved 5-0 by the board before being sent to the other boards and councils.

Princeton was one of the first few cities to vote on it, but Durden noted Putnam County, Bureau County and Ladd have tabled their decisions on the proposal.

When asked by the council why the other boards had tabled, Durden gave a lengthy answer but essentially said officials wanted more information before making any decision.

He also pointed to concerns raised during the public comment period from residents during those meetings that included the worry of tax incentives for Marquis and rumors of a future data center project.

“All these are just rumors at this point,” Durden said. “We are submitting an application and that means there is no current project in mind.”

With that said, the vote on Monday was about approving the enterprise zone expansion rather than any single proposal that could come later within it. That later proposal would most likely go through Putnam County officials.

“We approve it as a whole, but Putnam County has the final say on individual projects because it’s on their turf,” Mabry said, referring to how any future development would still have to go through local zoning approval.

Princeton Mayor Ray Mabry said while details remain up in the air on what future development could be there, he supports moving the process forward because he trusts Marquis’ intentions based off their reputation.

“Their track record is tremendous- what they’ve done taking blighted property and creating jobs is something that we recognize and value,” Mabry said.

When asked directly after the meeting if Princeton would support any AI data center projects in the future, Mabry said he most likely would not due to the unknown cost to residents and the environment.

Looking ahead, the proposal must still receive approval from all of the other boards and councils before it can be sent to a state board for final approval.

In a statement, Marquis held firm that there are no definite plans in place and expanding the zone will add significant value to the local economy.

“As local officials have indicated, no specific development proposal has been formally presented as part of this Enterprise Zone expansion request.

The proposed Bureau/Putnam Area Enterprise Zone expansion is a proactive economic development tool designed to ensure our region remains competitive for future investment opportunities.

Since the Bureau/Putnam Area Enterprise Zone was established in 2017, it has supported approximately 50 projects totaling more than $750 million in investment and has contributed to the creation of over 1,000 permanent jobs throughout the region."