Diageo Plans Another Expansion, 50 New Jobs for its Plainfield Headquarters

The village board's approval of the company's site plan means construction can begin this year.

Diageo's ready to expand again, now that plans for a $22 million addition to the distillery's North American headquarters have been OK'd by Plainfield Village Board. The 63,000-square-foot extension will be built at the northwest corner of Van Dyke Road and 143rd Street. It's the second facility expansion since 2008, and one of many since the company purchased the operation in 1997. Diageo is one of the largest distillers in the world, and in Plainfield the company manufactures traditional and flavored Smirnoff vodka products, Gordon's and Booths gins, and flavored beers, such as Smirnoff Ice and Smirnoff Ice Triple Black. The village board gave its approval to a site plan that calls for the demolition of the original gin distillery to …

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About Town

Plainfield Township Seeking Plans for New Senior Wing

Officials have requested design proposals from three architectural firms, but said they won't release more details until next month.

Plainfield Township officials are keeping mum on the identities of the architects they've asked to submit design plans for a new senior addition. Three architectural firms has been asked to submit design proposals for the new wing planned for the north side of the township building. The addition is expected to cost $500,000, the bulk of which will be shared by the Plainfield Park District and Plainfield Township. The township has preliminary sketches from Plainfield architect Michael Lambert showing a recreation area, a "living-room-like" lounge and a loft office for senior service administrators. Lambert designed the current township hall, built in 2005. State law allows township governments to bypass the bidding process for some …

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Diageo Plans $22M Expansion, with Help from District 202 Tax Abatement

The school board has signed off on a five-year, 50 percent tax break that will allow the company to build an 86,000-square-foot addition and add 50 new jobs.

The Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 has agreed to a property tax abatement to allow a business to expand its current facility and add about 50 new jobs. Diageo Americas Supply Inc. requested a property tax abatement as part of its plans to consolidate its manufacturing capacity from several North American sites into its Plainfield location, 2440 W. 143rd St., according to the Will County Center for Economic Development, which asked the school district to approve the abatement. Diageo, a leading spirits, beer and wine company, is spending about $22 million to build an 86,000-square-foot addition, CED officials said. Diageo plans to expand its bottling hall by 45,000 square feet, renovate the existing plant office space…

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Library's Too Cramped So Borrowing Time's Going from Two Weeks to Three

Library officials say that if the limit was not increased, they'd need to start storing older materials to make way for new items.

The Plainfield Public Library is upping the time patrons can borrow items from two weeks to three in order to free up shelf space in an increasingly crowded building, Assistant Library Director Lisa Pappas said. "Basically, it comes down to the fact that we are seriously cramped for space and we really don't want to reduce our physical collections," Pappas said. Additionally, some patrons have asked for longer checkout periods, she said. The longer loan period may also reduce overdue fines. "Two weeks is pretty standard in our shared catalog system so we had always thought we would just keep it," she said. "But we've reached a point where we really need to find every way possible to save some space without having to reduce the materials …

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Sarah Adamson

9:55 am on Monday, January 3, 2011

The longer time would be fantastic for me, I usually have to re-new my books after 2 weeks anyway!   more ›

Mega Sports Expansion Approved by Village Board

Giant gun and shooting supply store will create 20,000 square feet of new retail space under proposed plan.

Plans to expand Mega Sports and add 20,000-square-feet of new retail space to the gun retail shop were approved Monday night by the Plainfield Village Board. The site plan, endorsed by the village plan commission, also calls for the building facade to be updated with the addition of brick and stone enhancements, a new entrance created and a new parking lot built. The store, located at 16001 S. U.S. 30, sells handguns, rifles, shotguns, binoculars and other optics, ammunition, gun safes, hunting and shooting apparel, and other shooting sports supplies. It's been based in Plainfield for 12 years and is owned by Mark Daniels.  Mega Sports is among the top sales tax generators in the village, and this will push their numbers even higher, …

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Gun Store Owner Wants to Double His Retail Space

A proposal to build a 15,750-square-foot addition to Mega Sports on U.S. 30 goes before the Plainfield Village Board on Monday.

Mega Sports, a huge gun retailer with an adjoining shooting range, will seek Plainfield Village Board approval next week to double the size of its showroom space, Village Planner Michael Garrigan said. The 15,750-square-foot addition, which would be built onto the north side of the 16001 S. Lincoln Highway building, has won the blessing of the Plainfield Plan Commission. The exterior of the building will be modernized and the entrance relocated as part of the project, Garrigan said. "I think it's an excellent addition to our continued revitalization of the Route 30 corridor," he said. "They're a major retailer that is consistent with our long-term goals of making Route 30 a vibrant retail corridor." The store, located in Plainfield for 12 …

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Park District, Township to Join Forces on New Senior Center

The center will be housed in new wing being planned for the township building, the cost of which will be shared by the two governments.

The Plainfield Park District and Plainfield Township will pool their resources to build a new wing on the township building to serve as a senior center.  "We can bring some of our money to your table and have a bigger home for seniors," park board President Michelle Kelly said at a combined township/park district meeting Wednesday night.  The joint project, in the works since last spring, is a $500,000 addition to the north side of the township building at 22525 Lockport St. Plainfield architect Michael Lambert's preliminary sketches show a recreation space, "living-room-like" lounge and a loft office for senior service administration.   Township Supervisor John Argoudelis would like to see a fireplace included in lounge plans, he said.  "…

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