County Economic Development Corporation Randy Schoon. As a strategy, downtown small business support has worked incredibly well for the county. It has resulted in the renovation and rehabilitation of older buildings to make room available for the mom-andpop boutique-style businesses that now populate the county’s downtown corridors. Additionally, the county is in the process of a river crop redevelopment.“A lot of our river communities are shifting from what used to be industrial sites along the river, and now we’re working to convert those into mixed-use sites,” DeHaan explains. With this redevelopment, the county will be able to have both retail and residential spaces alongside its riverfront, and everything will be conveniently connected downtown via recreational walking paths. Despite the shift on the riverfront, Ogle County’s infrastructure projects still focus on enhancing its industrial growth opportunities. “One of the biggest things happening is that we were the home of a nuclear plant, and the county has rezoned large parcels around that for industrial development,” Schoon says. The planned repurposing of the nuclear power plant’s vast 350-acre site is poised to attract manufacturing and industrial enterprises, leveraging the region’s skilled workforce and central access to larger metropolitan areas like Chicago and Milwaukee. COLLABORATION AS A KEY TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE Ogle County’s success is deeply rooted in its collaborative spirit. Communities within the county work together to address challenges and share solutions, creating a network of mutual support. The formation of the Ogle County Economic Development Corporation has been a pivotal step in fostering this collaboration. “One of the best things that has happened by forming the Economic Development Corporation is that we all started talking to one another. It has been hugely positive and helps us all as a whole,” Schoon says, commenting that this level of collaboration is something that is commonly practiced by neighboring counties. This cooperative approach extends to economic development initiatives, where the county’s communities unite to attract businesses and enhance regional growth. 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 02 OGLE COUNTY, IL
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