A proposed expansion of DHL Supply Chain's footprint on Plainfield's far west side has village trustees sounding receptive, with plans calling for two new industrial buildings totaling roughly 2 million square feet near Ridge Road and 143rd Street. The project would build on the logistics giant's existing presence in the village and comes paired with a proposed $2.9 million payment to Plainfield, along with road and pedestrian upgrades along the corridor.
Village trustees discussed the proposal during an Oct. 26 Committee of the Whole workshop, according to Shaw Local, after first reviewing a concept plan for the development back in May. At that earlier meeting, trustees were described as receptive to the plans, though that stance does not amount to final village approval of the project. The proposed two-building development would expand on DHL Supply Chain's Plainfield Logistics Centre, a 1.2 million-square-foot building at the southeast corner of Ridge Road and 143rd Street, according to the outlet's reporting.
Jonathan Proulx is cited as the source for the roughly 2 million-square-foot figure for the new two-building project. Shaw Local's May report placed the proposed site at approximately 138 acres east of Ridge Road and north of 143rd Street, while a Plainfield Plan Commission document from Sept. 15 described the Phase 2 site as approximately 136.5 acres in the same general location. The village's Plan Commission voted 6-0 that day to recommend rezoning the site from R-1 and B-1 to I-1, along with the planned-development special use, site plan and preliminary plat, subject to requirements from the Village Engineer and the Plainfield Fire Protection District — recommendations, not a final sign-off from the village board.
Millions Pledged for Village Coffers and Road Work
Under the proposed development agreement, DHL Supply Chain would give the village $2.9 million, according to Shaw Local's report. Proulx said that figure consists of village payments combined with credits for improvements the developer would construct itself. Separately, the project is expected to generate $2.9 million in taxes a year — a distinct estimate from the development-agreement payment, per the same report.
Those developer-built improvements would include continuing a pedestrian path on the east side of Ridge Road and upgrading the signal at Ridge Road and 143rd Street/Johnson Road with pedestrian accommodations for north-south crossings. The developer would also construct a temporary traffic signal at a proposed full-access point on Ridge Road, and the village would recapture half the cost of that temporary signal project from the developer behind a separate, proposed 170-acre warehouse development at the northwest corner of Ridge and Johnson roads.
Those road investments build on the 143rd Street west extension connecting Ridge Road and Steiner Road, which was completed in December 2024 and included intersection improvements and a new signal at Ridge Road. The roadway improvements are designed to redirect commercial traffic away from downtown Plainfield and improve travel times to the village's western portion, the report states.
DHL Points to Strong Demand Along the Corridor
DHL representative Vince Rosanova told trustees that demand for the village's 143rd Street corridor remains very strong. He said the development would create jobs, enhance the tax base, and shift real estate tax burden from residents toward industries and corporations, while supporting local government, services and the school district. DHL describes itself as the world's leading logistics provider, operating approximately 1,400 facilities in more than 50 countries.
The broader industrial market context backs up Rosanova's read on demand. Crain's Chicago Business reported that warehouse landlords have been riding an ultra-low vacancy streak even as demand has cooled, even as the Chicago-area warehouse vacancy rate ticked up in the first quarter. The same outlet noted that RJW Logistics recently leased a 788,000-square-foot warehouse at 26220 W. 143rd St., just down the corridor in Plainfield — evidence that the stretch remains an active draw for logistics tenants.
Six local public bodies have signed a letter supporting the DHL project, Shaw Local reported, including Plainfield Township, the Plainfield Township Highway Department, Oswego School District 308, the Plainfield Park District, the Plainfield Fire Protection District and the Plainfield Area Public Library.
Trustees Push for Buffering and Preserved Trees
Mayor John Argoudelis said he was pleased to see a grove of trees preserved as part of the project. Rosanova said the project team was working to minimize light pollution, and Argoudelis added that careful lighting direction and possible shields can address that concern without turning it into a major cost issue.
Trustee Tom Ruane said he wanted sufficient buffering to protect nearby homes through plantings, berms or other measures. ‘I'm trying to get as much buffering as we can – plantings, berms, whatever we can,’ Ruane said, while characterizing the overall proposal as good. Village staff have said the proposed use and zoning are consistent with Plainfield's Comprehensive Plan, which identifies the area for industrial development.
The DHL proposal arrives weeks after trustees took up a separate industrial project nearby. Patch reported that the village board voted 5-2 on Oct. 14 to approve a 1.2-million-square-foot industrial warehouse at Ridge and Johnson roads, part of a roughly 170-acre development on the former Rot Farm property led by DPGF Plainfield and Core5 Industrial Partners. Mayor Argoudelis said Core5 would invest $3 million into Johnson Road improvements and provide a payment for parks in the Grande Park neighborhood as part of that separate deal.
