The City of Danville is acquiring the site for the old Quaker Oats plant on East Voorhees Street in Danville as shown here in 2024. City leaders are hoping to turn it into a ‘shovel-ready’ industrial site.
The City of Danville is acquiring the site for the old Quaker Oats plant on East Voorhees Street in Danville as shown here in 2024. City leaders are hoping to turn it into a ‘shovel-ready’ industrial site.
DANVILLE — The City of Danville received approval from the public works committee to acquire the former Quaker Oats factory site from PepsiCo on Tuesday.
Committee members backed an ordinance to take ownership of around 35-40 acres at 1703 E. Voorhees St. The former Quaker Oats plant was demolished in September of 2024 after its permanent closure was announced in June of 2024.
Logan Cronk, Danville’s Community Development Administrator, says the acquisition will create a ‘mega-site’ for economic development.
The city will also take ownership of an 8-acre solar farm on the property and is expected to pay around $500 in closing costs. PepsiCo is donating the land to the city.
“This has been a long time coming on this one,” Cronk said. “We have been working with PepsiCo feels like years now. It probably is years for the donation of this land.”
Around half of the property sits in a floodplain, he says.
“We have identified this site as what we’re calling a mega site, and with the state of Illinois’ assistance, we are going to attempt to remediate this floodplain,” said Danville Director of Public Works Dave Ruwe. “We’re trying to assemble 100 acres of development‑ready greenfield. With this property we’ll be pretty close to 100 acres, if not more.”
The city will work with the state to get floodplain remediation efforts underway to make it a ‘shovel-ready’ industrial site.
“We’re not buying it to sit on it,” Cronk said. “We’re getting this ready to sell right now.”
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. agreed with Cronk.
“One of the reasons we included the long-term forecast of revenue was also as part of marketing,” Williams said. “So that when we attempt to sell this… they would see that… there is recoverable money and ongoing revenue for whoever should acquire the property from us.”
The solar field is projected to bring in between $1.7 and $2.6 million for the life (28 years) of the project, depending on maintenance and service to the panels.
“Essentially, we wanted to weigh in: what’s the revenue and what’s the liability of an 8‑acre solar farm before taking acquisition of this,” Cronk added.
The solar panels on the 8-acre site feed back into Ameren, Cronk says. He said they were serving PepsiCo.
“We had an initial concern of liability for decommissioning that if needed in the long‑term future,” Cronk said. “After speaking with a consultant, those substations should not be considered a liability. They are more of an asset than anything.”
Cronk did say that until the remediation is done to the floodplain, there will likely not be a buyer.
“We are working very, very diligently to get this site ready and marketed,” Cronk said. “I don’t think we will have a buyer that will develop on this until [the floodplain] occurs.”
Alderman Ed Butler said the city may need to get more staff to take care of the land.
“I mean, as we’re buying up all this land,” Butler said. “With the small crew we have now, I mean, if we’re gonna have to make some kind of money.”
But for just paying $500 in closing costs, Cronk says this endeavor will be financially wise for the city.
“It is going to be very simple for us to make the decision to maintain it,” Cronk said of the solar and land package. “It should be a very profitable venture, we hope.”
The acquisition will still have to be fully approved by council at next Tuesday’s meeting for remediation efforts to be continued.
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