Business & Industry
Since its inception in 1834, St. Charles has experienced great prosperity. The Fox River, world-class architecture, international employers, and exceptional city services have created a community that enjoys the reputation of being the “Pride of the Fox.”
Over 1,800 businesses employ more than 35,000 people consisting of a balanced mix of retailers, restaurants, and manufacturing facilities. The city also boasts one of the state’s largest Chambers of Commerce, a full-service Convention and Visitors Bureau (serving the community’s eleven hotels, offering in total more than 1,300 rooms for overnight stay), and an award-winning Main Street organization, the Downtown St. Charles Partnership.
The St. Charles Business/Industrial Park, located on the east side of the city, provides over 750 acres of business and industrial development. This park is adjacent to the DuPage Airport (third busiest in Illinois) on IL-64, is serviced by the Union Pacific Railroad, and is within six miles of I-88. Manufacturers have found significant advantages by locating in St. Charles with low municipal electric rates, and reduced insurance rates due to the Fire Department ISO Rating of “2.”
The Legacy Business Park (36 acres) just south of IL-64 on Kirk Road continues construction and growth.
Just west of Randall Road on IL-64 will be two more developments. The Corporate Reserve of St. Charles will be a 50-acre business park development and Pine Ridge Park will add 21 more acres of commercial and retail space.
Also to the east, the Charlestowne Mall retail district, Pheasant Run Resort and Convention Center, and DuPage Expo contribute to lodging, shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings. The Q Center offers top-notch conference and meeting space, lodging, and other amenities for corporate retreats.
Downtown St. Charles is at the onset of one of the largest undertakings in the City’s history—the First Street Redevelopment Project. This development along the Fox River will add 163,496 square feet of retail space, 115,000 square feet of office space, nearly 100 upscale housing units, and 943 parking spaces and will be completed in phases over the next several years. For more information visit 1ststreetstc.org or call 630-762-7097.
To the west, our busy Randall Road corridor is home to the Kane County Fairgrounds, the Kane County Judicial Center, and retailers such as Fox River Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, Meijer and Costco. Extensive new developments are underway throughout the west side, including major road improvements at the intersection of IL-64 and Randall Road. Costco opened in November 2008, at the intersection of Randall Road and Oak Street.
The city’s Economic Development Department (EDD) works with the St. Charles business community to retain existing businesses and market the city externally to attract new businesses. The EDD is a source for the city’s Community Profile (detailed demographic information), traffic counts, available commercial properties, business listings, employment resources, publicity opportunities, and a shopping center directory. All of these and more can be found online at stcharlesil.org/edd.
Elgin Community College (ECC) offers FREE business counseling, as well as seminars, courses, and referrals to existing and prospective small business owners. For more information, contact the ECC Small Business Development Center at 847-214-7488, or visit them on the web at elgin.edu/business.