Navistar would like to buy one of the 1 million sq feet vacant Lucent buildings on Warrenville Rd. in Lisle and provide 3000 new jobs for DuPage. A reliable source told me that because they need an agreement or something with the Forest Preserve the whole deal is in jeopardy because the FP won't cooperate- apparently wealthy nearby residents are worried about diesel exhaust when they test engines. WHAT? Is this true? Anyone else know? For cry eye the facility is next to 88.

I've heard rumors about that for years with various different companies....I'm not real sure what it is about that place that makes it seem so undesirable....I would think it's in a prime location right there....

There have been a series of stories in the various papers on this over the last few months - basically one issue is engine testing near a school. Here's a recent link chicagobreakingnews...

Also, not sure it's all that many new jobs, as much as jobs moved around.

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My memory of the news stories is sketchy. There were some surrounding folks notified but not all because it was a different suburb. So the wealthy folks had their undies in a bunch. That, and I think the Democratic challenger to the FP seat is trying to use it as a campaign issue. Think of the emissions!!

Looks like 1500 new jobs but all 3000 would be spending here in DuPage

The whole story seems sad- Bell Labs was part of Lucent (AT&T)- incredible, change the world, American tech leader for many decades- inventor of the transistor. Now nothing left but a bunch of empty buildings and sold to the French?.

People need to consider the ripple effect of these matters. My former employer, a third party logistics company won a large contract from Navistar appoximately two years, it instantly created 75 new jobs and saved approximately 25 employees from getting furloughed. Since that time, a number of my friends there have been promoted and additional jobs created as the the scope of the agreement expanded. Nearly everyone who works at this 3PL Aurora's office lives in Dupage and Kane county.

I'm all for preserving nature and having a nice quality of life, but some folks need to look beyond their own selfish agenda and look at the benefits for others. BTW-Last I checked, those folks that are employed pay the taxes that allow the Forest Preserve to exist. And keep their jobs.

Bio - I thought Navistar was just moving from Warrenville [Naperville maybe?] to Lisle, both in DuPage no?

I might be mistaken here though.

Those giant buildings near the corner of Warrenville & Naperville Roads are a monument to "dot.com" hubris. One of them has a giant "Satellite TV" looking glass thingy in it.

What is that? Just a design feature or something functional? Like an extraterrestrial listening device!

My inside sources tell me that Navistar had some relatively pricey floor work done in those buildings....or at least one of them....

I think the facility is a research facility.

The forest preserve problem is not even an environmental issue- something to do with easement or access across their land?- not destruction of valuable open space. The issue seems used to be a pawn to "protect" the neighbors. I mean irregardless of the fact that 24 hour traffic pollution from I88 would seem to overwhelm anything emitted from the facility, couldn't their experimental diesel exhaust just be run through a catalytic converter or scrubber?

Right Yoss, certain Warrenville residents have been bitching about the BP research facility thats been on Warrenville Rd for decades- especially when the middle school was built nearby. Unfounded fears and NIMBYism I think.

I mean these are the employers we want in our community at large- they bring good paying jobs vs. the endless retail crap municipalities fight over for tax money.

The county at large votes for the Forest Preserve District commissioners and if they can't see the greater good- then time for a change I think.

Bio I think a lot of your facts are wrong.

Instead depending on rumors or "sources" Bio
pick up a paper or google. You may learn something.

Daily Herald Navistar move


1. Net in terms of Jobs may be about a thousand.
But companies usually exaggerate those numbers
especially when they're looking for some tax givebacks.

2. The forest preserve is being asked to "donate" 1.3M to Navistar.

3. Also Navistar is looking for a break on its taxes. I.E. asking local
residents to basically pick up Navistar's tax bill.

4. There was an issue with a school for autistic children though that seems to be getting resolved.


In short its not as cut and dried as you point it out to be. The jobs would be good though I would doubt some of the numbers and they may be mitigated by the tax givebacks that Navistar is asking for.

Yeah. The benefit of even a few hundred people working in your town is so overblown. They won't buy houses and pay transfer taxes. They won't buy gas, so they won't pay gas taxes. They won't go to lunch, thereby employing low wage earners. They won't go out for drinks at the restaurants in the area thereby paying liquor taxes and employing other people. They won't pay sales and income taxes.

It's just so overblown. These givebacks have no benefit to anyone. Just another corporate handout.

The truth is that those corporate givebacks rarely make back the money that is handed out

Its funny to hear liberals like you and Bio argue for what is essentially corporate welfare.

They want to centralize their locations, good. You know what I bet doing all of that will benefit them. But now they want taxpayers to pick up the tab for something that is going to benefit them.

They're probably getting those buildings for a song anyway.

Actually, I just want their closings and divorce business.

I am sure you will cite some overwhelming examples of the incentives not paying off rather than just attacking my view as ironic. Maybe they can just move to Texas and more jobs leave Illinois.

Almost forgot...we don't need the workers' pay toll money either.

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My bad- $1,500,000.00 to the FP for 3 acres and maybe only 1,600 new jobs. Lets just gaze at the empty windows instead. Maybe the FP should except $0 for the 1.5 acres in the name of economic development here. Just so we understand- the FP is asking and maybe getting that $ from other govt taxing agencies- they are donating nothing and apparently trying to derail economic development in the name of a few neighbors.

We are after all talking about a major international employer actually wanting to move jobs an $ to Illinois, even with all it's faults that have been discussed here and in the media, and we're actually complaining? Good God.

TIFS can be bad but if you do it right it works- Elmhurst completely revitalized their downtown with one years ago.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Biostitute,

RMK, have you considered the increase in the length of the lunch line at the Schmaltz? Perhaps progress is a bad thing.

RMK-bio-Leamington.

What you're saying is that.
Lower taxes help create jobs, higher taxes help kill them.

Maybe Navistar wants or needs the tax breaks from Naperville to offset Governor Quinns higher taxes.

Of course everyone else will be forced to leave to say Texas.

Oh yeah Texas no state income tax record number of jobs.

No connection I'm sure

But you have to live in Texas. Not something I would wish on anyone.

A lot better than Illinois.

Hey at least Texas is growing, has jobs, has a future. Illinois has none. The only thing Illinois has an abundance of is corrupt politicians.

You have never studied the politicians in Texas, or you would have never said that. Infamous comes to mind.

I see personal attacks in your futures. I'll wager that they start around 11:25 A.M. Central time today. I am salivating at the thought of reading them.