“Every year, the city builds on its previous accomplishments,” said Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli. at his second State of the City address on Thursday, May 22.
Titled “The Building Blocks of Naperville,” the speech highlighted how Naperville residents can lay “down the building blocks for future success.”
The I-88 corridor is a priority for the future in State of the City address
“Let’s lay down the building blocks for future success,” says Wehrli. “2024 was marked by many of these achievements, and there’s no better place to start discussing them than the I-88 corridor.”
Wehrli highlighted the two-pronged approach the city had taken to transforming the area from Eola Road to Naperville Road. The first approach was a collaboration with Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities.
“This third-party expertise helped us identify our ‘big lift’ for that area so that we can focus on a specific element. By working with the City’s Data Team, business retention jumped out as the top priority,” said Wehrli.
The second approach was the Naperville Development Partnership hiring a consultant.
“Nearly half of the city’s existing jobs are located in the corridor, which the report noted was an ideal location for certain high-growth industries,” said Wehrli.
Wehrli added that the study set goals of adding 15,000 jobs to the corridor.
Balancing development and community in Naperville
“You’ve been hearing a lot about the corridor and the importance of commercial development in general,” said Wehrli. “Here’s why. Balance. Balancing residential and commercial development in turn supports our school districts, our park district, the libraries, and all the amenities Naperville is known for.”
The Mayor also stated that a strong commercial presence helps keep property taxes lower and attracts people to the city to spend money, as well as new residents who want to live where they work.
“This delicate balance must be preserved,” said Wehrli. “We enjoy the community we have today because of every forward-thinking decision made yesterday.”
