As Community Development Officer for the Village of Minooka, I’m often asked, “What’s been happening in Minooka lately?” So, now that 2025 is a wrap, it feels like a good time to pause and bring everyone up to speed on a few of the headlines from Minooka over the past year.
Housing activity was a theme in 2025. New housing units are either already under construction, or builders are installing infrastructure so construction can begin. The Preserve at Heritage Woods is now offering senior duplexes for sale, providing an important housing option for residents looking to downsize while staying in the community. Additional duplexes and townhomes are planned as infill near Ridge Road and Brannick Road, specifically in the Arbor Lakes and Prairie Ridge neighborhoods. Infrastructure has been completed for another phase of Arbor Lakes, where Lennar Homes is slated to build 54 homes over a few years.
On the commercial side, Minooka welcomed several exciting additions this year. Eggventure Café celebrated its ribbon cutting in July and has quickly become a popular breakfast and lunch destination. Construction also progressed steadily on the new QuikTrip near Ridge Road and Midpoint Road, and we look forward to celebrating its opening in the near future. South of I-80, the dual-brand Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites hotel is now going vertical. We also welcomed Pro-CFC, a provider of cabinets, flooring, and countertops, whose showroom you can visit just across from the post office.
Several larger developments and projects made progress in 2025. Equinix is preparing to develop a data center at the northeast corner of Holt and Ridge Road, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026. This project is expected to generate significant property tax revenue for local taxing districts while placing less demand on water and road infrastructure than other potential uses. We also saw development on Industrial Drive with the completion of the Willow Electric building. In addition, Motive Power Resources received a Reimagining Electric Vehicles (REV) grant from the State of Illinois to support its work manufacturing fully electric locomotives. Congratulations to the men and women working in this cutting-edge industry right here in Minooka.
Beyond bricks and mortar, 2025 was also a strong year for community involvement and recreation. Residents came together for events such as Community Clean-Up Day, the Haunted Trail Ride, the Vintage Faire, and the Christmas Market, all of which are still in their first or second year and already becoming community traditions. This past summer also marked the ribbon cutting for new amenities at Aux Sable Springs Park. These improvements were made possible through the generosity of the late Lorraine and Jerry Davidson, whose $400,000 contribution to this project, combined with a matching grant of $400,000 from the State of Illinois, made several planned features at the park a reality.
Larry Simotes was named Minooka’s 2025 Citizen of the Year for his extraordinary efforts in creating what is believed to be the nation’s only veteran-themed dog park. Congrats and thank you to Larry and all the contributors who made this possible. The Village also extends its thanks to the Jason Clearwater Fund for its continued support, most recently contributing to the outfield fence at the Lakewood Trails ball field.
The Village also made several operational and quality-of-life improvements in 2025. We transitioned to OpenGov software, allowing permits, licenses, and registrations to be completed quickly and easily online. Surf Internet is currently working to install fiber-optic infrastructure throughout Minooka, with service expected in many neighborhoods by the end of 2026. This private investment will provide residents with additional internet options and increased competition. In addition, electric vehicle charging stations are under contract to be installed in select parking spaces near downtown and at Village Hall in spring 2026.
Minooka’s progress in 2025 reflects the combined efforts of residents, businesses, volunteers, organizations, and staff across the community. While it isn’t possible to highlight every contribution in a brief article, each played an important role in making this a meaningful year for Minooka. For more information on Village projects and services, please visit www.minooka.com. And if you own or manage a business in Minooka, we encourage you to share your feedback by taking our short business survey at https://forms.minooka.com/Minooka-2026-Business-Survey. Your input will help guide future planning and support continued success in the year ahead.