On Tuesday, May 14, 2019, a ground breaking ceremony was held for the new Tractor Supply retail building to be located at 504 Riverstone Parkway. Participating in the ground breaking were Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong; Todd Blair, Regional Manager for Tractor Supply Inc; Sam Humbard, Superintendent and W.R. Newman, General Contractor. Also in attendance were Alderwoman Danita Swanson (R-4), Alderman Fred Tetter (D-7) who serves as the chair of the economic development committee and Alderman Chris Curtis (R-6), in addition to, members of the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce and City of Kankakee department heads.
Developed in the late 1990’s, Riverstone Parkway is part of the southern entrance to Kankakee. Conveniently located near Interstate 57 at exit 308 and Routes 45/52, Riverstone Parkway falls within a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. “This is an exciting day for the City of Kankakee. There has been little activity in this TIF for approximately 10 years and I believe this development is evidence that the City of Kankakee is prime for investment opportunities. The City of Kankakee is moving forward and It is my hope this business will spur additional development in this area,” said Mayor Wells-Armstrong. According to Frank Koehler, Economic Development Director for the City, “this was a great team effort – involving the Mayor, City Council and various department heads. Everyone worked together and this project demonstrates the administration’s commitment to attract quality retailers and businesses to the area”.
Todd Blair, regional manager for Tractor Supply noted, ” the Kankakee store is part of an expansion plan for Tractor Supply, as there are two additional sites located in Illinois and Indiana. The ease in working with the City’s team made this an attractive location.” The Kankakee store will employee upwards of 15 team members and is scheduled for opening in early November.
