Hillwood Breaks Ground on 1 MSF Industrial Project

Image by Adrian Sulyok via Unsplash

Hillwood is converting a large piece of farmland in Geneva, Ill., into a major Class A industrial development. The developer broke ground on Fox Valley Commerce Center, a four-building project that will be split into two phases. Hillwood is aiming to complete construction on phase one in late 2023.

The developer tapped Harris Architects Inc. as the project’s architect, while FCL Builders will be tasked with building Fox Valley Commerce Center. Hillwood also appointed the Lee & Associates team of Nick Eboli, Jeff Janda and Andrew Block to market and lease the industrial property.

Upon completion, Fox Valley Commerce Center will total more than 1 million square feet. The first phase will include the 266,760-square-foot Building 1 and the 272,160-square-foot Building 2. According to Hillwood, the second phase will allow for a build-to-suit opportunity of as much as 500,000 square feet.

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Located at 2088 Geneva Drive, Fox Valley Commerce Center will be positioned between IL-38 and IL-64, just 9 miles north of Interstate 88. The industrial facility’s location makes it ideal for tenants looking to meet distribution needs in the Midwest since it’s situated near the DuPage County Airport, while also being roughly 40 miles away from Chicago. Fox Valley Commerce Center is also within a day’s drive of more than one-third of the U.S. population, according to Hillwood.

From farm to industrial facility

Hillwood acquired the 75-acre site earlier this year in July from a local family. Don Schoenheider, executive vice president & Midwest market leader at Hillwood, said in prepared remarks that the firm is planning to transform the parcel of farmland into a development that will benefit the community, adding that the Fox Valley Commerce Center will meet a rapidly growing demand for modern logistics facilities in the Midwest.

More than an hour away, Hillwood is also working on the first phase of its Route 66 Logistics Park in Elwood, Ill. According to the company, the 2.5 million-square-foot business park is one of the largest available tracts of land in the submarket. Outside Illinois, Hillwood previously build a 232,600-square-foot industrial facility in Colton, Calif., which was eventually acquired by Brookfield Properties in May 2021.