Joliet annexes 97 acres for warehouses

Northern Builders plans two warehouses at corner of Cherry Hill and Spencer roads

Joliet has annexed 97 acres along Cherry Hill Road for warehouse development.

Northern Builders, which has developed the nearby Cherry Hill Business Park, plans to build two warehouse/office buildings on the site, according to a staff report on the project.

The site consists of farmland in the southeast corner of Cherry Hill and Spencer roads.

Plans submitted to the city indicate one warehouse would be 700,000 square feet and would be built with the capacity to expand another 425,000 square feet. The other warehouse would be 294,500 square feet.

This is the second attempt to develop the site, according to the staff report.

The city approved annexation in 2018 under a similar plan for warehouse development. But the previous developer did not go through with acquisition of the property, voiding the annexation agreement.

The site is surrounded by farmland and industrial property.

The Joliet City Council approved the annexation and rezoning of the land for industrial use on May 17 without discussion.

The plans approved by the city include improvements on Cherry Hill and Spencer roads. The city will require 30-foot wide berms along the north and west property lines when the site is developed.