Will County committee advances Project Northwinds, seeks five‑year 50% tax abatement for two shuttered plants

Doug Pryor, director at the Will County Center for Economic Development, told the executive committee that Project Northwinds is a recruitment the county has pursued for nearly three years and would repurpose two vacant manufacturing facilities in Will County.

"Project Northwinds is is actually a project we've been working on now for nearly 3 years' time," Pryor said, adding the plan contemplates "2,475 new jobs" and approximately $346,000,000 in capital investment across two sites: 2200 Channahon Road (the former Caterpillar facility) and 3835 Youngs Road (the former Lion Electric facility).

Pryor said the company is asking the county to approve a five‑year, 50% abatement on new increment at the two facilities. He described the county’s request as consistent with recent practice and modest relative to the size of the project. "That ask is being made the same as the schools," Pryor said, noting pre‑meetings with participating school districts and an expectation that school votes and other taxing‑body decisions will be coordinated with the county's timeline.

County board members pressed for details on the abatement and fiscal impacts. Pryor said the county’s share of any tax rebate is a smaller portion of the overall tax bill and that the county’s revenue would increase both during the abatement period and after it expires as a result of the planned investment. He offered annual tax estimates for the two sites as currently assessed (roughly $150,000 and $271,000 per year) and said preliminary projections put post‑project annual revenue at more than $1,000,000 for one site and about $1,400,000 for the other, assuming additional investment.

Members also asked about the nature of the work and local workforce benefits. Pryor said the project would manufacture truck trailers (refrigerated and dry) and currently undertakes operations offshore that would move to Will County if the project proceeds. He highlighted partnerships with Joliet Township High School, Joliet Junior College and others to develop internships and training programs and said the county’s existing internship program includes more than 150 paid positions for high‑school students.

After questions and discussion, the executive committee moved the request forward for consideration by the full county board.

Next steps: Pryor said he expected at least some school district votes to be complete by the time the matter reaches the full county board; the project will require coordinating approvals across multiple taxing bodies.