Naperville City Council chooses I-88 corridor as 2026 ‘special study’

The Naperville City Council has voted 8-1 to designate the I-88 corridor within Naperville as the focus for the city's 2026 development-related special study. This initiative, which had $150,000 earmarked in the operating budget, will involve the city's planning team conducting a deep dive into the future of the corridor.

Councilwoman Mary Gibson emphasized the urgency of creating a cohesive plan and undertaking a top-down review of zoning in the area, noting that some current zoning is outdated. Mayor Scott Wehrli expressed hopes that the study would help position the I-88 corridor as an attractive location for industries such as food, life science, ag-tech, and advanced manufacturing, highlighting the area's importance for local job income tax revenue. The decision to study the I-88 corridor comes after the area saw a proposed data center project ultimately "nixed" in recent years.

While the I-88 corridor received overwhelming support, Councilman Ashfaq Syed cast the dissenting vote, advocating for the 5th Avenue site to be studied instead, citing its potential for addressing affordable housing shortages. Other council members, including Josh McBroom and Ian Holzhauer, also voiced continued support for the 5th Avenue site as a future priority. Councilwoman Supna Jain, however, argued that the I-88 corridor study could also tie into the city’s broader affordable housing discussions by attracting businesses that generate employment.

Allison Laff, deputy director of Naperville’s Transportation, Engineering, and Development department, explained in a memo that only one study could be realistically undertaken this year due to current staffing levels and workload, even with the use of outside consultants. Resident Marilyn Schweitzer provided public comment, urging the council to review staffing within the TED planning team to ensure recommendations from studies are implemented efficiently.