Plans for Plainfield Recycling Center Move Forward

A former newspaper printing facility get new life as the North American headquarters of one of the largest electronics recycling companies in the world.

Village trustees on Monday approved changes to the site plan for a new Vintage Tech Recyclers facility in the former Fox Valley Press building at Route 30 and 135th Street. The board also voted to direct the village attorney to draft an ordinance for the property, located at 13543 S. Route 30.

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Vintage Tech is partnering with Finnish recycling company Kuusakoski to convert the building, which also once served as the home base for the Joliet Herald-News, into a state-of-the-art electronics recycling plant. The partners will invest an estimated $12.2 million in the project, including the purchase price plus more than $5.7 million to convert the newspaper facility into a recycling center.

In December 2012, trustees approved a tax abatement in the hopes of luring the development away from La Porte, Indiana, which had offered the companies “an aggressive [incentive] package” to locate there, according to Village Administrator Brian Murphy.

Read: Tax Break Could Bring Electronics Recycling Headquarters to Plainfield

The tax incentive gives Vintage Tech a five-year, 50 percent tax abatement. Plainfield School District 202 and Will County also signed off on the tax break.

Even so, the renovated facility is expected to net more than $40,000 in new property taxes for Plainfield over five years — and trustees predict it will also bring sales tax revenue.

“This is bringing jobs to the community,” trustee Garrett Peck said, noting that more than 100 employees are expected to work out of the facility and will likely patronize Plainfield restaurants, gas stations and other businesses.

The $5.7 million renovation will convert the 160,000-square-foot facility into an electronics recycling plant, but will not require any major modifications to the existing structure other than adding several bay doors, according to village documents.

Vintage Tech currently has a Plainfield location at the northwest corner of Route 59 and 143rd Street, along with a Romeoville location. The firm offers free electronics recycling pickup throughout Will County.

“I’m glad this company chose Plainfield,” trustee Margie Bonuchi said. “I think this is a step in the right direction.”

Trustee Bill Lamb was pleased to see a vacant building get new purpose.

“It’s nice to see a well-constructed building that we already had get put to new use,” he said.

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