Need for housing grows as hundreds of jobs are coming to Williamson County

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, IL. (KFVS) - In the past 12 months, leaders in Williamson County announced a new beef processing plant, Fed-Ex distribution building, and a hotel-casino. All that job growth is expected to put a greater demand on affordable housing.

“The goal is to have housing for everyone, we want folks who are working in our community to live in our community.” Said Cody Moake, City of Marion Chief of Staff.

Moake says the city council has been planning for the job growth for several years.

“They wanted to get aggressive on trying to I guess, inorganically create housing opportunities in Marion. So the city council put in 2 TIF districts in kind of the older part of town that also encompasses some undeveloped area.” Said Moake

Moake says the tax increment financial districts motivated developers.

“Southern meadows first started a little over a year ago, out east of town on Norman Road. It’s 142-unit housing complex and the base level rent is like 975 a month on up to 1500 a month.” Said Moake

According to Mayor Steve Frattini, Marion’s next door neighbor, Herrin, is also constructing 2 new neighborhoods.

“In the what we would consider the starter type home or moderately priced in sized home. In the range of about 135,000 to 150-160,000 dollars.” Said Frattini

Mayor Frattini says 60 new homes are on the drawing board, plus developments for future neighborhoods.

“We’ve got a third project, it’s still in design and it’s going to require an annexation on behalf of the city to bring that into the city and be able to accommodate that as well.” Said Frattini

Frattini added that the housing growth will help the residents.

“And that’s been one of our goals is to broaden our revenue streams without creating new events or new taxes and things like that. And in the housing growth that would relate-to our property tax which that helps take some of the pressure off everyone else.” said Frattini

Frattini says he is excited for what the future holds.

“I’m very encouraged with what the future brings. It also brings with it some other obligation’s we have, we’ll increase public services, increase public safety in police and fire which we have expanded.” said Frattini

And Moake says the Marion city limits will expand to the south.

“We see that as a residential development are. There’s a lot of farm land down there that really we can easily get water and sewer utilities too, already power in the area.” Said Moake