The village is considering a proposal for a 20-acre business park that would bring to the rural area its first industrial development, a village official said this week.
The park’s developer is seeking a tax abatement from the town and assistance in building sewers and bringing water to the area. A large portion of the real estate taxes from the development would benefit Beecher School District 200 U, village officials said.
“The tax advantage to us would be substantial,” said Village Manager Bob Barber. The industrial park would bring Beecher about $200,000 in real estate tax receipts, Barber added.
The deal is being sought by Dutch American Foods Inc. of Dolton, which wants to relocate to expand its operation. Will County has a “very attractive tax base compared to Cook County, where taxes are a big problem,” said Arthur Van Baren, owner of Dutch American.
Dutch American makes dry breading products for fish and chicken, Van Baren said. Van Baren bought the firm, which was started in the mid-1960s, in 1994.
The proposed park would be located on Church Road, one quarter-mile west of Dixie Highway. Van Baren’s firm would develop an 18,000-square-foot plant on about 3 acres, and either build other plants in the park for lease, or lease it out to contractors for development, he said.
Public hearings are scheduled before the Beecher Planning Commission in April. Public hearings will also be held when the Village Board holds an annexation hearing on the property in May.
More Top Picks Best Bathroom Vanities For Small Bathrooms
“If it all comes together we would like to start developing the property in about three months, and be completed with it by the end of the year,” Van Baren said.