It was a busy year in Kendall County. Here is a rundown of some of the 2025’s top stories.

Data center projects in Yorkville tests the public’s bandwidth

In November, Yorkville City Council approved Project Cardinal, a 1,037-acre data center project with 14 two-story warehouses. The developers say the manufacturing project will take around a decade to complete. Once completed it will be bigger than New York’s Central Park.

The city has recently moved forward several other data center projects, with 3,000 acres of former farmland along the Eldamain Corridor targeted for Yorkville’s own data center alley.

City officials are excited about the millions in annual tax revenues the warehouses are expected to generate. At full build-out, Project Cardinal is expected to generate between $35-70 million in property taxes annually.

Mayor John Purcell has also requested each data center developer to write an upfront check to the Yorkville School District 115. The projects have faced significant opposition, including a lawsuit, from residents opposed to the large construction projects being detrimental to their quality of life.

Toddler killed after car crashes into Portillo’s restaurant in Oswego

A 2-year-old boy was killed in July when a car crashed into the front entrance of the Portillo’s restaurant in Oswego.

The driver in the July 30 fatal crash at the Portillo’s restaurant in Oswego will not face any criminal charges. Following an almost three-month investigation, the Oswego Police Department said it determined the driver mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake, causing the 2011 Lincoln MKZ to crash into the restaurant.

New businesses in Oswego now will have to install barriers to protect pedestrians along sidewalks or store entrances.

Oswego parks director resigns following charge of attempted reckless homicide

Oswegoland Park District Executive Director Tom Betsinger resigned from his position after being charged on July 13 with allegedly attempting to run over a person with his pickup truck in Yorkville and driving under the influence of alcohol.

The person who Betsinger allegedly attempted to run over while driving under the influence of alcohol told Yorkville police that he did not know Betsinger. A motive is not known and the victim was not injured.

Public camping ordinance in Yorkville triggers protests by homeless advocates

The Yorkville City Council unanimously approved an ordinance fining and potentially incarcerating homeless individuals for sleeping on public property leading to protests.

The police department said the ordinance was designed due to the limitations at its disposal to handle four homeless individuals in town. The move was adopted with little public notice and little discussion by City Council.

Opponents decried the ordinance saying social services, including temporary housing, should be expanded, made more visible and easier to navigate, and prioritized when trying to help homeless individuals.

The city amended the ordinance to prioritize social services, but several residents opposed leaving the ‘heavy-handed’ policy on the books.

Ultimately, the four homeless individuals received helped by persistent efforts from residents and police officers.

Yorkville School District 115 seeks $275 million facility expansion

With Yorkville School District 115 classrooms “bursting at the seams” from significant student enrollment increases the district set-off on a campaign gathering what expansions the community wants prioritized.

The ultimate facility expansion design became a $275 million project up to voters via referendum on the March 17 ballot.

The project involves constructing a new middle school and a new elementary school. The designs also include a new performing arts center and field house auditorium outside Yorkville High School. A new academic wing is also designed for the high school.

The district said the owner of a home with a market value of $323,700, the district median, would pay an additional $577 a year in taxes. Throughout the year, district officials opposed new housing developments at City Council meetings, arguing the district’s capacity crisis cannot handle any new students without a facility expansion.

Oswego OKs housing proposal for former junior high school site

At the Dec. 9 Oswego Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously voted to approve a concept plan for the 161-unit apartment and townhouse development, located at 61 Franklin St. near the intersection of Washington Street and U.S. Route 71.

They also directed staff to begin negotiating a redevelopment agreement between the village, Oswego School District 308 and the development team of JTE and architecture firm Cordogan Clark.

Residents continue to voice their concerns that the project is out of character with the neighborhood and will add to traffic congestion in the area.

Lake Michigan water project increases water bills in Yorkville

Yorkville received bad news down the pipeline when estimates for the Lake Michigan water sourcing project came in around $100 million over initial projections.

As it currently sits, Yorkville is eyeing $224.4 million in project costs, including all eligible projects, up from previous estimates of around $170 million. A state loan can support $179.5 of these costs.

The project, which will send the first water flow to Yorkville in the summer of 2028, is a joint-project with Oswego and Montgomery. City officials said the currently-used underground aquifer cannot sustainably support the region’s booming population.

To help offset the costs, Yorkville approved water rate increases, averaging around 20% annually for five years. In the wake of the increased costs, the city said it is “re-evaluating the plan” on the water rate hikes to see if even higher increases are needed. Some alderman have suggested that the data center development funds could help ease the burden on taxpayers’ water bills.

Kankakee man charged in fatal attack at Oswego Chick-fil-A

A Kankakee man was charged with killing a man using a hammer and knife and injuring another person Oct. 22 at the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Oswego.

Darryl Lee Jr., 19, of Kankakee, faces 11 felony counts, including first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death and armed robbery.

The victim in the fatal attack has been identified as Tracey J. Land, 52, of Bridgeview.

Land was making a delivery to the restaurant at 2740 Route 34 when, about 3:10 a.m., Lee allegedly broke into the restaurant and attacked him with a hammer and a knife, Oswego police said.

Longtime Oswego Public Library Director retires

Oswego Public Library District Director Sarah Skilton retired from the district on Sept. 30 after being with the library district since 1994 and seriving as its director since 1999.

During her tenure, Skilton saw the number of people that the district serves soar from 25,595 people to more than 70,508.

To deal with the growing population, Skilton worked to get the community to pass a referendum for the construction of the district’s Montgomery campus, which opened in 2009. She also oversaw a project to expand and renovate the downtown Oswego campus in 2015.

At the Nov. 19 Oswego Library Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved hiring Krista Katzen as the district’s new library director. Previously, Katzen had been serving as the district’s assistant director since fall 2019.

Illinois Routes 47 and 71 undergoing massive expansions in the Yorkville-area

To ease traffic congestion for the region’s expanding population, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is widening and expanding two major roadway arteries in Kendall County, Illinois Route 47 and Illinois Route 71. IDOT is widening Route 71 through the county from a two to a four-lane highway with a raised median from Illinois Route 126 to Orchard Road in Oswego. The Route 71 project is projected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Likewise, Route 47 is undergoing an expansion from Kennedy Road in Yorkville out to Sugar Grove’s Cross Street. The two-lane road is being expanded into a multi-lane highway, and will feature new pathways and bridges more accessible to pedestrians.

Several intersections are being widened, including at Route 47 and Galena Road. The construction is expected to create significant traffic back-ups over its estimated two-year completion. Yorkville city officials said once its completed, drivers will notice a significant ease in traffic congestion, especially during peak rush-hour drives.