2019/05/28 - Mayor's Column: Good News to Share
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
I hope that everyone had the chance to enjoy their Memorial Day Weekend. The Memorial Day Ceremonies were very well attended, as always. O’Fallon is a special community and it really shows. It is amazing to see so many people in O’Fallon come together and honor those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms that we enjoy.
There is a lot to celebrate in O’Fallon. For the last few years, O’Fallon has been a leading community in the area. This trend is sure to continue with the developments that are being proposed.
The largest proposed project is one that we have been working on for a long time. Years ago, Exit 21, north of Scott Air Force Base, was constructed. Once complete, it opened up a large area for development. We have worked with our school districts and other taxing bodies to help create opportunities in the area that will help build long-term success for the O’Fallon area.
Tri-Star, the developer of Edwardsville’s Gateway Commerce Center, is proposing a large-scale project that will bring warehousing, logistics, light-manufacturing, and offices to this area. With it, will come jobs and tax dollars that will help keep our schools the best in the area. This area could create a reliable non-residential tax base – which is good news to the homeowners in O’Fallon!
There is also a large project being proposed at the southwest corner of Green Mount Road and Central Park Drive, extending south to include frontage on Frank Scott Parkway. The application is for a 17+ acre mixed-use development to be known as The Shops at Richland Creek. The initial phase includes three buildings, totaling 17,800 square feet of retail / restaurant. The remaining lots would be for various other retail, hospitality and service type uses. The planned tenants are not public information at this time. However, I am confident that when announced, there will be excitement!
O’Fallon’s Vine Street Market continues to be a popular destination on Saturdays. As the weather turns warmer (still waiting on the rain to stop) produce has become available for purchase. It’s great seeing thousands of people in downtown on Saturdays shopping, eating, and enjoying themselves.
The Downtown District, a group of businesses in the downtown area, continues to be productive. They have a number of events and promotions planned for the coming months. They also have a new website: www.ofallondowntowndistrict.com and are working on rebranding and marketing the downtown area. You may have seen the new interactive signage in downtown – the Downtown District boxes.
There is so much going on in O’Fallon, it is hard to stop and look around in appreciation. However, last week there were two reports that came out that show evidence that proves that I’m not the only one that thinks O’Fallon is awesome!
The Belleville News Democrat reported that O’Fallon continues to gain population. People vote with their feet. So, the fact that O’Fallon continues to grow, even while the State of Illinois, and nearly every other major city in the region loses population shows that O’Fallon is a great place to be.
Additionally, in a recent national survey of communities between 25,000 and 100,000 from across the country, O’Fallon ranks as the 105th most affordable community. It’s an honor to in the top 10% of this ranking. We strive to keep our community affordable and offer superior services for all our residents, businesses, and visitors.
There are many factors that help make O’Fallon such a great community -- Schools, Police, Fire, EMS, well maintained infrastructure, lower tax rates, good and consistent service to developers and businesses, and strong marketing. But all of this means nothing without great residents!
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!