Naperville Development Partnership
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| Naperville Development Partnership | |
|---|---|
| Name | Naperville Development Partnership |
| Formation | 1985 |
| Type | Nonprofit economic development corporation |
| Headquarters | Naperville, Illinois |
| Region served | DuPage County; Will County |
| Leader title | President & CEO |
Naperville Development Partnership is a nonprofit economic development corporation based in Naperville, Illinois, founded to promote commercial growth and civic revitalization. It operates alongside municipal entities and private stakeholders to attract investment, retain employers, and coordinate redevelopment across northeastern Illinois. The organization works with regional authorities, business associations, and higher education institutions to align land use, infrastructure, and workforce initiatives.
History
The Partnership was established in the mid-1980s amid suburban expansion that involved interactions with the City of Naperville, DuPage County, Will County, and the State of Illinois during a period marked by projects similar to those in Aurora, Illinois, Schaumburg, Illinois, and Oak Brook, Illinois. Early collaborations referenced planning practices from Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area redevelopment and drew lessons from redevelopment agencies in Evanston, Illinois and Skokie, Illinois. Over time, the organization engaged with major regional employers such as Navistar International, Edward Hospital, Nicor Gas, and BP affiliates while observing trends exemplified by Kane County and McHenry County economic efforts. It coordinated with transit authorities like Metra and advocated for corridor improvements similar to those in Interstate 88, Interstate 355, and Ogden Avenue (U.S. Route 34). National reference points included redevelopment models from Palo Alto, California, Arlington, Virginia, and Plano, Texas.
Organization and Governance
The Partnership’s governance structure includes a board of directors drawn from civic leaders, corporate executives, real estate developers, and representatives from institutions such as North Central College, Dominican University, and Waubonsee Community College. Executive leadership liaises with elected officials from the Naperville City Council, county board members from DuPage County Board and Will County Board, and planning staff from the Naperville Plan Commission. Committees include representatives from chambers like the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, regional development bodies including Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and Metropolitan Planning Council, and utility stakeholders like ComEd and Commonwealth Edison. The Partnership has adopted bylaws consistent with nonprofit best practices similar to those of Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, and adheres to reporting standards used by organizations such as Illinois Municipal League.
Economic Development Programs
Programs administered or promoted by the Partnership have addressed business attraction, retention, and expansion with incentives paralleling initiatives in Champaign, Illinois and Rockford, Illinois. Workforce development efforts coordinate with employers such as Tenneco, Caterpillar, and Fermilab-adjacent contractors, and training programs tied to Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grants. Real estate outreach mirrors tools used by Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and marketing campaigns reference success metrics from Greater Houston Partnership and San Diego Regional EDC. Small business support includes liaison services akin to those of SCORE and SBA District Office, and incubator connections modeled on 1871 (Chicago startup incubator) and university tech transfer offices like Argonne National Laboratory collaborations.
Major Projects and Initiatives
The Partnership has played a role in downtown revitalization projects comparable to efforts in Naperville Riverwalk planning, transit-oriented development near Naperville Metra Station, and mixed-use redevelopment similar to schemes in Water Street Tower developments elsewhere. Redevelopment initiatives involved coordination with developers linked to projects akin to The Arboretum of South Barrington and adaptive reuse cases similar to The Morton Arboretum-adjacent planning. Infrastructure advocacy included multimodal improvements referenced against Chicago Transit Authority expansions, bicycle network projects paralleling Lakefront Trail, and streetscape grants like those pursued in Elmhurst, Illinois. The Partnership supported commercial corridors redevelopment that intersects with retail clusters seen in Fox Valley Mall-area planning and corporate campus relocations observed in Schaumburg Business Park cases.
Partnerships and Community Engagement
The organization engages partner institutions including Edward-Elmhurst Health, DuPage Airport Authority, Silicon Valley Bank-type financial partners, and regional nonprofits like DuPagePads and Heartland Alliance-style social services. Civic outreach includes joint programming with cultural institutions such as Naper Settlement, North Central College Philharmonic, and arts organizations similar to Naperville Independent Film Festival. Collaborative forums convene stakeholders from Illinois Tollway Authority, Chicago Southland Development Authority, and regional transit bodies like PACE (transit). Community engagement strategies draw on models used by League of Women Voters of Naperville and volunteer mobilization approaches from Rotary Club of Naperville.
Funding and Financial Structure
Funding sources include municipal contributions, private donations from firms like local real estate investors and corporate partners, and grants administered through agencies such as Illinois Department of Transportation, Economic Development Administration, and foundations similar to The Chicago Community Trust. The Partnership manages budgets with line items for marketing, project management, and incentive programs, adopting financial oversight practices comparable to those used by Urban Land Institute affiliates and nonprofit audit standards promulgated by Independent Sector. Fiscal partnerships have included tax increment financing arrangements like those used in redevelopment districts across Illinois municipalities and negotiated incentives similar to those in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) programs employed in Chicago-area projects.
Impact and Criticism
Supporters credit the Partnership with facilitating office retention, retail attraction, and downtown enhancements that draw comparisons to revitalization in Oak Park, Illinois and Downers Grove, Illinois. Metrics cited by proponents include job announcements from companies resembling BP and Fujifilm expansions, and commercial investment echoing patterns in Will County economic development reports. Critics have raised concerns about incentive transparency, the distribution of public subsidies in redevelopment deals similar to controversies in Chicago TIF debates, and the balance between downtown investment and suburban neighborhoods as discussed in forums like DuPage County Regional Planning Commission. Debates have referenced urbanist critiques from Jane Jacobs-inspired commentators and fiscal watchdogs akin to Better Government Association.