Approximately 0.8 miles west of Interstate 57 & 64, the Rolland W. Lewis Industrial Centre is home to industries such as Walgreens Distribution Center, United Rentals, and PRAXAIR. The park is fully outfitted with utilities and is a prime location for easy truck access.
Jefferson County, IL: Being in the Right Spot
High-Quality Labor Force – Due to its central location and existing manufacturing base, Jefferson County has access to a large and experienced workforce. Within a one-hour drive time of Mt. Vernon, the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, you will find a population of 1.1 million people bolstering an impressive labor scale. Within the same one-hour drive time are two major universities, one of which is rated as the #5 Best Public University in Illinois, and 5 Community Colleges. The mixture of higher education institutions and long-time manufacturers in the community keeps skills acquisition and growth at the forefront. In Jefferson County, workforce quality and growth are instilled through programs in the area high schools that focus on industrial, robotics, and entrepreneurial development.
Time and Cost Advantages – In the competitive world of site selection and so many communities eager to show how ready their land is for development; selection sometimes comes down to “how quickly can we be in business”. With existing large buildings unavailable, having an industrial park “prepared” for construction was a priority for the City of Mount Vernon, Illinois. All due diligence has been done, including Phase One environmental studies, and three sites have been identified for this Logistics Park. Having a site “prepared” shortens the time it takes to begin construction by speeding up the planning process.
Infrastructure in Place – The Chesley Industrial Park has been designed with industry in mind. A 12” water main and a 15” sewer line have been placed inside the park to accommodate almost any need. Depending on site needs, one of the two highly reliable energy providers in the area can meet the demand.
Reach and Access – What makes the Chesley Industrial Park unlike other parks in the country is its unbeatable access to the highway and interstate systems as well as proximity to a one-of-a-kind rail system and a well-equipped airport. The park has direct access to Illinois Highway 15 and is less than 1 mile from the intersection of Interstate 57 and 64 directly in the middle of the United States. The City of Mt. Vernon is almost exactly halfway between Chicago, IL and Memphis, TN. In addition, it is 1 hour from St. Louis, MO, and 1.5 hours from Evansville, IN making it the ideal location. Mt. Vernon is within an 8-hour drive of over 100 million people.
Only 4 miles away from Chesley is a unique rail system via Milano Railway Logistic Services. Milano Railway’s private rail yard has the distinct advantage of being connected to 4 Class 1 railroads: UP, BNSF, NS, CSX, and the Evansville Western Railroad. No matter where your shipment is coming from or heading to, Milano Railway is positioned to help you get it there.
Locally, the Mt. Vernon Outland Airport allows for easy travel of executives or products with its FAA-Certified repair station and 6,500 ft. runway capable of handling large cargo shipments.
Benefits of Mt. Vernon, IL – Not only is the Chesley Industrial Park located within an Opportunity Zone, but the small size of Mt. Vernon allows for fast permitting times and personalized attention during the construction process. Jefferson County prides itself on its quality of life with a World-Class Museum in Mt. Vernon and an almost 40,000-acre recreation area in the southern part of the county. Pair that with a 14% lower cost of living than the U.S. average, makes Jefferson County and Mt. Vernon a wonderful place to live and do business.
Contact – The Chesley Industrial Park is under the administration of the Jefferson County Development Corporation. For more information on this site or others within Jefferson County, please contact us at 618-244-3554 or JCDC Executive Director, Tony Iriti at tonyiriti@jeffcodev.org.
*The following are renderings that illustrate the maximum size of buildings that each site can support.*