Adams County, IL – The Great River Economic Development Foundation announced Madison
Badgley has been promoted to the position of Vice President. Madison began working for
GREDF in December 2021 as Director of Business Development. In that position, Madison
successfully launched GREDF’s Business Concierge Service while growing the Quincy Concierge
Program to help newcomers feel welcome to the community. Her outreach program to the
business community has resulted in three straight years of membership growth. Besides her
duties as Director of Business Development, Madison took over workforce development duties
during a staff transition, overseeing projects such as Careers in the Commons and Career
Launch Signing Day.
As Vice President, Badgley will expand her duties to include business attraction, site selection,
grant management and oversee day to day management of the office when the President is not
available.
Kyle Moore, President of the Great River Economic Development Foundation stated,
“Since day one, Madison has shown a unique ability to help our business community navigate
the complexities of growing their business in these competitive times. She has done this while
starting new initiatives and programs that have added value to our members. The Board of
Directors of the Great River Economic Development Foundation and I believe Madison’s
leadership abilities and her dedication to our organization make her an obvious choice for the
role of Vice President.”
The Great River Economic Development Foundation is a public/private partnership which exists
to maintain and improve the economic vitality of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. They do
this through the retention and expansion of businesses and attracting new business and talent
to our communities.
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The Great River Economic Development Foundation Promotes Badgley to Vice President
Tri-State Development Summit kicks off as leaders look for solutions
BURLINGTON, IA (WGEM) – The Tri-States Development Summit convenes again on Wednesday.
The annual meeting has been held for more than 30 years, with the goal of creating new ideas. They look to help grow the Tri-States, especially in the area of transportation. The Mississippi River is key to that. While it may divide the states geographically, it brings them together in other ways.
At the summit, port development will be a subject of conversation. So will highway development a 1,700 miles of four-lane highway have been created thanks to the Tri-State Development Summit.
That’s according to Tri-State Development Executive Director Leslie Sieck. She said the summit brings the Tri-State community together for the better.
“Coming together to talk about economic development gives us an amplified voice; an amplified voice to our state legislators, our federal legislators and also allows us to really find the best practices and implement them throughout the region,” said Sieck.
Housing solutions are also set to be discussed during the two-day event. Great River Economic Development Foundation President Kyle Moore is part of a panel on workforce housing in the Tri-States.
He said to expect new, good ideas on solving housing problems. Moore comes in with a Quincy and Illinois perspective but will gain the insights of those from other communities.
“Housing is an issue that’s affecting every community in the Tri-State area, and I think we’re going to have a really good dialogue on some of the solutions that we’ve offered here in Adams County, and also learn from folks in Missouri and Iowa as well,” said Moore.
Moore added the Tri-States are better when they work together, rather than as separate entities.
“I think we’re always better when we tackle things as a region,” said Moore. “We don’t really consider ourselves only from, you know, Quincy or Illinois. We really consider ourselves part of the Tri-State region.”
The Tri-State Development Summit runs Oct. 2-3, ending Wednesday afternoon. All members of the public are welcome to attend. It takes place at the Catfish Bend Convention & Event Center in Burlington, Iowa.
Copyright 2024 WGEM. All rights reserved.
County Board green lights $740,000 in housing funding
Muddy River News | August 14, 2024 | By J. Robert Gough, Publisher
QUINCY — The Adams County Board has approved the first grant allocations from the $1 million set aside for housing out of American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
There were 21 applicants for the Growing Residential Opportunities County-Wide (GROW) program and 17 were awarded funds totaling $740,000.
The Great River Economic Development Foundation (GREDF) vetted the proposals and made its recommendation to the County. The County paid GREDF $20,000 to do the vetting.
The 17 projects will account for 49 new housing units.
The following organizations and addresses received the first wave of funding:
- $100,000 for Rupp Enterprises at 2435 Maine in Quincy.
- $100,000 for ESG Properties at 700 N. 52nd location in Quincy.
- $100,000 for Powell’s Pride LLC at 815 S. 13th location in Quincy.
- $100,000 for Mays Properties at 1611, 1615, 1601, 1605 and 1609 Cherry in Quincy.
- $40,000 for D&D Tri-State Properties at 204 E. Railroad, $20,000 for 403 1/2 Main, and $20,000 for 403 Main, all in Loraine.
- $80,000 for Niesen Properties at 834 Meadow Lark Drive in Quincy.
- $40,000 for Sonsview Properties, Inc. at 201-205 Locust and 1616 N. Second, both in Quincy.
- $20,000 for Calfee Rental at 109-113 N. Broad in Loraine.
- $20,000 for Wayne Bigelow at 812 S. 16th in Quincy.
- $20,000 for Chicory Properties at 1235 Kentucky in Quincy.
- $20,000 for Carol Shaffer and Mickey Tuter’s 411 S. Hedrick property in Loraine.
- $20,000 for Christopher and Marion Dye’s 916 Adams property in Quincy.
- $20,000 for SHARE Home Automation and Real Estate at 1418 N. Sixth in Quincy.
- $20,000 for Updown LLC at 308 N. 8th St. in Quincy.
Adams County Finance Committee Chair Bret Austin said $240,000 remains in the fund and an emphasis will be placed on developments outside of Quincy in the next round.
The County Board also heard a request for $250,000 in ARPA funds for the Adams County Childcare Task Force.
The task force is looking for the money to match a $220,000 grant to fund the Adams County Childcare Advancement and Recruitment Effort for nine years.
The Adams County Childcare Task Force includes the Community Foundation of West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri, Moorman Foundation, Tracy Family Foundation, Great River Economic Development Foundation, Tri-State Development Foundation, Blessing Health, John Wood Community College and West Central Child Care Connection.
The program would pay for the vocational training of high school and college students to become childcare specialists. It can also fund graduates and workers already in the field to practice in Adams County using conditional scholarships and bonuses.
The task force has studies that report only about half Adams County’s childcare needs can be met by the current availability of licensed childcare centers.
Quincy now in River’s Edge Redevelopment Zone
Chicago — Governor JB Pritzker has signed a package of bills to incentivize corporate development and attract new businesses and capital investments to Illinois.
The bill also expands River’s Edge Redevelopment Zones to seven new downstate communities, which will enable them to leverage new incentives to attract investments, create jobs and invest in their communities. The bill adds zones in Moline, East Moline, Ottawa, LaSalle, Peru, Rock Island and Quincy.
“The Great River Economic Development Foundation, The Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, and The District teamed together this past year to advocate for Quincy’s inclusion into the River’s Edge Program,” said Kyle Moore, GREDF President/CEO. “All three boards recognized that inclusion into the program would give a shot in the arm to revitalize historic properties in Quincy. The most important aspect of the River’s Edge Program is a 25 percent state tax credit to renovate historic properties. Without the River’s Edge program, this can be an arduous administrative process with limited state funds available, making it extremely difficult for local developers to utilize. We thank the Governor and the General Assembly for their bipartisan support for our River’s Edge initiative. We believe this will lead to many exciting projects in the future.”
The omnibus bills, HB5005, include investments in tax credit programs for the film industry and research and development projects across the state, as well as for the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) and Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) programs. The bills also build on Illinois’ growing status as a tech hub and reduce red tape for the Blue Collar Job Act (BCJA).
“Since day one of my administration I have been laser-focused on ensuring businesses that uplift Illinoisans and our economy see the many benefits this state can offer—and that has paid off many times over,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’re continuing that essential work with this package of legislation, attracting new and expanded business opportunities that offer good paying jobs and build out industries of the future like EV and quantum.”
In 2023, Illinois tripled corporate investments incentivized by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). New jobs created by the EDGE and REV programs jumped up more than 60 percent from the previous year – from 2,691 to 4,329 – with the number of retained jobs increasing exponentially, from 204 to 3,127. Updates to Illinois’ premier business development tools will make Illinois even more competitive for jobs and capital investment and could generate more than an estimated $21 billion in new state revenue into GRF over the next 30 years.
The Illinois film tax credit, created by Governor Pritzker in 2022 and expanded through 2032, offers tax credits for local labor and production expenditures and has been a key factor in Illinois landing major productions. The State’s tax credit has resulted in a $6.81 return on investment for every dollar spent on the incentive, resulting in $3.6 billion in economic activity between FY17 and FY22. 94 percent of Illinois’ current film industry economic impact is attributed to the impact of the tax credit enacted by Governor Pritzker.
The omnibus also includes:
- Recodification of eligibility for the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) program: This law codifies quantum computing, semiconductor, and microchip companies in the R&D phase as eligible for the program while reducing initial investment requirements to allow smaller businesses to enter the market.
- Creation of a Quantum Enterprise Zone (QEZ): Designed to help position Illinois’ proposed quantum campus – funded through a $500 million bonded capital request introduced in the FY25 budget – to attract up to $11 billion in CHIPS and related federal funding and an estimated $20 billion in private investment.
- Reduction of Blue Collar Jobs Act (BCJA) Red Tape: Based on industry feedback, this change allows BCJA credits to be based on industry standard or 3rd party verified construction wages rather than the submission of monthly payroll data.
“As technology evolves, it’s important our policies do the same to maintain our state’s competitiveness and economic strength. The legislation signed today by Governor Pritzker will invest in manufacturing and supply chains, keeping Illinois at the forefront of electric vehicle development while also strengthening incentives for semiconductor and microchip manufacturers, allowing for important advances in quantum computing research that can help solve some our society’s most pressing challenges,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “We are especially proud that an extension of the Research & Development tax credit is included in this measure. Research and development are central to the success of our state’s manufacturing sector, with manufacturers constantly creating new products and improving existing ones.
Quincy now in River’s Edge Redevelopment Zone
GREDF looking to address childcare workforce shortage
ADAMS COUNTY, Ill. (KHQA) — Parents are struggling to find adequate childcare for their children nationwide, and in Adams County.
According to a study done by the Great River Economic Development Foundation, available openings at daycare centers have decreased 14% since 2018.
Great River Economic Development Foundation President Kyle Moore says the effect of this shortage is felt across the spectrum.
“It’s not just that we need new centers, it’s that we need more slots available for childcare, more children to be able to receive it,” said Moore.
GREDF, along with other organizations like the West Central Childcare Connection, Tracy family foundation, and many other funding agencies are coming together to address this shortage.
“We’ve joined a stakeholder group that is looking at how can we increase the number of workers in childcare, because we know for every worker, more children can get the care that they need.”
Moore says they are looking to address the issue at the college level, with the possibility of trying to increase enrollment by offering more opportunities for students at local colleges.
“Whether that means extending apprenticeship opportunities, reducing the cost of college debt for anybody who is working in childcare. Maybe it’s a sign on bonus. We’re just trying to do different things that can help ease the burden our families are experiencing,” said Moore.
The stakeholder group is also speaking with officials on the Adams County Board to see how they can address it as a county leadership issue.
Moore says that the county currently has $300,000 in ARPA funds available from COVID-19 that could potentially be used.
They also hope to help relieve some the cost of food for childcare centers in the area.
“We were able to provide grants to over 80 childcare providers in Adams County, which totaled about $50,000. We know that every little bit helps when you’re talking about the smaller at-home childcare providers,” said Moore.
The stakeholder group hopes to make a presentation for the plan with the ARPA funds later this summer, and if approved could go into effect in the fall.
https://khqa.com/news/local/gredf-looking-to-address-childcare-workforce-shortage
John Wood Community College celebrates Workforce Development Center expansion
May 30, 2024 | By Muddy River News
QUINCY— John Wood Community College celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony for its Workforce Development Center (WDC) expansion project on Wednesday at the WDC, located at 2710 North 42nd Street in Quincy.
The expansion added 14,170 square feet to JWCC’s WDC facility, including a new Truck Driver Training addition, expanded space for HVAC and business and industry training, and a remodel of the current interior to include expanded spaces for welding, mixed/virtual reality learning, industrial maintenance and manufacturing, robotics and automation, and flexible use-space for new programs. Additionally, a new vehicle entrance off 42nd Street and a larger parking area were added. A new computer-aided design lab was sponsored by Gardner Denver, and the community commons area was funded by the Rotary Club of Quincy.
The $6 million expansion was supported by a $3 million Federal Economic Adjustment Assistance Program grant awarded to JWCC in June 2021. College and private funding covered the remaining cost of the project. Klingner & Associates was the architect for the project and Maas Construction served as general contractor.
Speakers at the event included:
Dr. Bryan Renfro, JWCC President
David Hetzler, JWCC Dean of Career Technical Education
Kyle Moore, President of the Great River Economic Development Foundation
Jason Weber, Vice President of Engineering at Gardner Denver/IRCO
Chris Koetters, JWCC Truck Driver Training Instructor
Nick Weiman, Knapheide Manufacturing Engineer and JWCC alumnus
“This has been a collaboration among business, industry, and community leaders to leverage Federal dollars to ensure this region has a state-of-the-art training facility,” JWCC President Bryan Renfro said. “The expansion will help us build on our efforts to keep pace with the evolving technical skills needed to meet the region’s workforce needs. This means providing customized training to area businesses, upskilling existing workers, and continuing to build a pipeline of students to sustain and grow our region’s industries.”
John Wood Community College celebrates Workforce Development Center expansion
Students launch into new careers at annual signing event
On Monday night there was another local signing event. But this time, it wasn’t for the athletes. It was for local students going into the local workforce.
As part of a multi-partnership deal, students pledged to their soon-to-be employers at the annual Career Launch Signing Day.
“I believe in a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I believe that I should do my job with enthusiasm, regardless of how mundane and unpleasant the task might be.” Those are just a couple of promises the six students signed off on ahead of a new journey to embark on their careers.
“(We’re) celebrating the successes you have,” said Mayor Mike Troup, one of the speakers. “You’ve got some great employers to be working for.”
Managers from Blessing, Quincy Medical Group, Leeser Trucking, and Parent and Child Together for West Central Illinois stood by their future employees as they signed those promises. The students then get a certificate, signifying their commitment to be good employees.
John Wood Community College student Rylee Martin made her own ‘PACT.’
“Right now, I’m a substitute teacher at PACT Headstart,” Martin said. “And, I love it. Every day is different. It is upbeat and high energy.”
The Career Launch Signing is also a way to help the local workforce, as employers find their best fit. Martin’s employer said this partnership benefits the nonprofit.
“It’s very hard in our rural communities to find qualified staff especially teaching staff,” said Sara Mixer, executive director for PACT at West Central Illinois. “So being able to have students who are really getting that real world experience in our classrooms and our job sites also helps our employers see how our employees are going to be in the workforce.”
The Career Launch Signing is hosted by the Adams County Career Guidance team and in partnership with JWCC and Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center.
Copyright 2024 WGEM. All rights reserved.
https://www.wgem.com/2024/05/21/students-launch-into-new-careers-annual-signing-event/
Teachers from QHS, Unity recognized as Career Guidance Team celebrates area educators
May 19, 2024 | By Muddy River News
ADAMS COUNTY, Ill. — One teacher from an Adams County school and one teacher from a Quincy school were recognized as the Adams County Career Guidance Team celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-10.
The Adams County Career Guidance Team’s mission is to encourage and foster awareness of careers, educate youths and job seekers about area career opportunities and build connections between families and local employers. This event was developed to identify teachers who are incorporating career exploration into their classrooms.
Lexi Brumbaugh from Quincy High School and Bobbette Keefe from Unity High School in Mendon were celebrated on May 7. Each teacher was presented with a basket filled with donations from local businesses.
Keefe is a science teacher at Unity High School. She introduces career exploration into her anatomy and physiology class by inviting in Kerby Roberts, a registered respiratory therapist from Blessing Hospital. Roberts talked to students about what a registered respiratory therapist does and the severe shortage of them in the healthcare field. Roberts brought with her pig lungs and a human model torso, and students got to try intubating a patient and provided information and ways to job shadow her at Blessing Hospital to learn what she does.
Brumbaugh is an art teacher at Quincy High School. She brings the outside art world into all her classes, especially her advanced studio class. She enters her students into art shows to show them what other artwork is like out there and inspire them to create art for sale as freelance work. Her students attend College Fine Arts Day at Culver-Stockton College. The students create mural paintings for the high school and the windows at Hy-Vee for their summer celebration. Brumbaugh shows her students they can be an artist or art teacher, museum curator, graphic designer, interior designer, an Illustrator for medical books and more.
In a press release, Gena Finley, chair of the Adams County Works Career Guidance Team and program coordinator for Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center, said, “Our team cannot do any of this without teachers providing unique opportunities to explore careers in the classroom. We appreciate all that teachers do to help their students and want to give them the recognition they deserve. This is our small way of letting them know how much they are appreciated.”
The Adams County Career Guidance Team is comprised of members from the Great River Economic Development Foundation, Workforce Innovation Board of Western Illinois, QAVTC, John Wood Community College, Junior Achievement, IDES, school counselors and area employers. Their goal is to help facilitate learning about the wide variety of career opportunities in Adams County and promote career exploration.
Developer heads to Las Vegas convention in early stages of negotiations for clients at 54th and Broadway
QUINCY — Jim Otis doesn’t yet have a deal in place, and he won’t reveal the names of any restaurants or businesses he could potentially bring to Quincy.
But when he heads to Las Vegas for the three-day International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) conference beginning Sunday, he’ll search for retailers ready to commit to this market.
“Every developer and every broker who’s particularly retail-oriented tends to go to this conference,” Otis said. “None of these retailers are in the Quincy market, so they’ve got to come in, make their sales projections and then determine if this is a kind of rent they’re comfortable with.
“I just hope it matches with the type of number I’m trying to get for rent. They don’t tell me what their number is, and I don’t tell them my costs. It’s a dance.”
Mayor Mike Troup said Monday he’s been speaking with Otis, president of the Otis Company in Omaha, Neb., for the past three months about the 7.93-acre property on the northeast corner of 54th and Broadway, just south of Sam’s Club. Troup said Otis, who made a presentation to the Finance Committee on Monday, has an option to buy the property.
“That was the starting point to see if we can’t get that incentive rebate money to help with the economics of putting this deal together,” Otis said. “We’re in the very beginning stages of our negotiations with tenants. The site plan represents some of the tenants we’re already working with, but they’re far from a done deal. We can’t reveal names. There’s just so much we can’t talk about now. But I’ve been through this before.”
Adams County tax records show the Edgar W. Campbell Trust of Greenville owns the property.
Otis said he first learned of the property’s availability last year at — of all places — the ICSC conference in Las Vegas.
“I was talking to somebody and he said, ‘You know, in Quincy, there’s been this site that was on the market for years, but it had this horrible typography issue that needed to be resolved,” Otis said. “But recently, the owner allowed for some fill to be brought in. You ought to take a look at it, because it’s really well placed in that Quincy market.”
Otis visited Quincy last summer and met with Kyle Moore, president of the Great River Economic Development Foundation.
“Kyle gave me a nice tour of Quincy,” he said. “He’s all gung ho on Quincy, and he just showed me all over the place. I looked at this piece of property, and at that time, it was under contract. I thought well, shoot. I’ve probably missed an opportunity. Then it came back on the market, and I took a shot. So here we are.”
Troup says Otis is requesting a $1 million tax rebate incentive on the sales tax collected. Troup believes the deal could end up being similar to how the city structured the GMX deal on the former Kmart property on the northeast corner of 36thand Broadway, now home to Target.
“What a great deal,” Otis said. “What would you rather have? A Target or a vacant Kmart? It cost the city nothing. It’s just sharing the sales tax. It really does help the quality of life in Quincy.”
Otis says the justification for the incentive is that although the fill was placed to fill a large hole on the site, he says it wasn’t placed correctly and must be removed.
“It’s filled with debris that needs to be removed,” he said. “It’s placed on top of soil. It’s got a moisture problem that needs to be corrected. All sorts of things still need to be worked out regarding that, because it drives the cost up.
“A million dollars lowers my land costs by about $3.40 a square foot. Of the seven and a half acres-ish, a portion is for stormwater. Then we’ve got five lots totaling 6.75 acres and you divide that the square footage of that many acres into a million dollars, and it’s $3.40. Our price is still high for the Quincy market, but you know what? I like the location.”
The next step is for the Finance Committee to approve the tax rebate document and send it to the Quincy City Council. Meanwhile, Otis wants to get signed leases on all five lots.
“Once that’s accomplished, we close,” he said. “The importance of the incentive is, you know, I’m already kind of relying on it, I suppose. It would be hard not to. I think it makes a lot of sense. The mayor’s in favor of it. I suppose in the end that it could get voted down, but I guess we’re kind of relying on it.”
Otis said most of the lots at 54th and Broadway will be filled by restaurants, who he said “can afford to pay the highest rent” on high-priced ground. As the cost to remove the fill increased, he said the property became “too pricey” for many retail shops.
“We’re being kind of forced to deal with a certain segment,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with it. I mean, who doesn’t like a nice restaurant, especially if it’s new to the market? The spectrum has narrowed to a segment of the retail market that can pay the highest rent. That tends to be fast-food quick-service restaurants.”
If all goes well, Otis doesn’t believe any construction will begin for a year.
He showed the Finance Committee photos of a recently completed project by his company in an abandoned Kmart building in Dalton, Ga.
Forty percent of the building was razed to make room for a Food City grocery store, and then Ulta Beauty, Ross Dress for Less and PetSmart stores were added as well as a local sports outfitters store. Buildings for an AT&T store, a Bath and Body Works store, a jeweler, a Japanese restaurant and a Crumbl Cookies store were built. A former Shoney’s restaurant was converted into a Starbucks.
“It was an example of what we can do,” Otis said.
Before that happens, many hurdles must be cleared.
“This is not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination,” Otis said. “We’re really working the market. I think we’ll be successful, but man, there’s always a little luck involved. You’ve got to hit people at the right time. Everybody we’re talking to wants to be in Quincy, but are you ready to do the deal now? Is the rent going to scare them off? I hope not.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The name of one of the stores in the development in Dalton, Ga., was incorrect in a previous version of this story.
Developer heads to Las Vegas convention in early stages of negotiations for clients at 54th and Broadway
GROW program now accepting applications to bring more housing to Adams County
Quincy, Ill. (KHQA) — The GROW program is hoping to address the housing shortage in Adams County.
The Great River Economic Development Foundation, along with Adams County, is now accepting applications for the Growing Residential Opportunities County-Wide (GROW) program.
The program will offer a $20,000 incentive per unit to developers looking to construct new residential units on a vacant lot.
GREDF President Kyle Moore says that developers have already shown interest in the program before applications opened on April 16.
“There’s been a lot of interest from local developers, the Home Builders Association, and individuals who might have a property that may not have been affordable to develop with the recent rise in building cost and the interest rate increase that we’ve seen,” said Moore.
GREDF will be hosting two seminars to give more information on the program.
One training session will be on April 23rd at 4:00 p.m. at the Oakley-Lindsay Center, as well as a session over Zoom on May 1st at 12:00 p.m., which will be posted to GREDF’s website.
To apply for the program, click here.