SPRINGFIELD -- Rockford and Belvidere are receiving $5.5 million in Illinois site-readiness grants that State Senator Steve Stadelman helped secure, he announced today.

Rockford will get almost $2,5 million for road construction and water main installation near the IL-2 and US-20 interchange. In Rockford, the investment is intended to attract industrial development to the area near Chicago-Rockford International Airport. 

Belvidere's award of nearly $3 million will be used to extend water and sewer to a 137-acre site on Chrysler Drive east of the Stellantis auto plant.

"These projects are critical to increasing the state's industrial and infrastructure attraction while helping secure future investments," Stadelman said. "I am thrilled to see the Regional Site Readiness Program come to life, and I am optimistic about the positive impact it will have on our local economies and the job opportunities it will provide for individuals across the state."

ROCKFORD - State Senator Steve Stadelman today issued the following statement regarding Stellantis' announcement about the future of the Belvidere Assembly Plant:

"I'm pleased to see Stellantis reaffirm its commitment to build a new, mid-size truck at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. State and local officials worked tirelessly to reopen the iconic manufacturing facility. I'm proud to have sponsored legislation that incentivized Stellantis' decision, and I look forward to workers being back on the job and the regional economy receiving a big boost."

ROCKFORD – Following Stellantis’ announcement of delaying their investment in the Belvidere Assembly Plant in his district, State Senator Steve Stadelman is urging the company to follow through on their 2023 commitment to invest nearly $5 billion to revive the plant.

“Delaying the revitalization of the plant jeopardizes the economic security of our community, as well as the trust between Stellantis and the United Auto Workers,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “The deal we reached last October is good for our community and all parties involved, and it needs to be honored by Stellantis.”

Belvidere Assembly Plant has been producing cars since 1965. Initially owned by Chrysler, the plant was purchased by Stellantis, a company owning several car brands including Dodge and Ram. A year after the buyout, Stellantis announced the plant was going to be “indefinitely closed” starting in 2023.

Following this announcement, members of the UAW union began a strike in opposition. Stadelman, as well as other state and local leaders, worked with both parties until they agreed to a contractual agreement to reopen the plant in the next few years.

The contract terms included that the revitalized plant would manufacture a new Ram truck, as well as expand operations to include a new battery plant, parts distribution hub and a new electric vehicle line. The contract came as Illinois continued to offer incentives for EV manufacturers to invest in Illinois plants, including the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act in 2021, a historic stimulus package offering tax credits and other incentives to attract manufacturers of electric vehicles, batteries and other EV components, of which Stadelman was the lead sponsor.

Since then, Illinois has continued to incentivize EV production in Illinois, creating the $400 million Large Business Attraction Fund to empower Illinois to become a global magnet for EV technology. While these incentives drew Stellantis to commit to revitalizing the Belvidere plant, the company is pushing back the timeline for the plant to reopen and refusing to negotiate with the UAW.

“Stellantis signed onto this agreement because, with our gracious incentives to invest in EV, Illinois seemed like the best place to produce these vehicles,” said Stadelman. “However, they’ve decided now to turn their back on what truly makes Illinois the best place for auto manufacturing — our automotive workers. I implore them to meet with UAW members to find a compromise or a path to honoring the original agreement, as it would benefit them and members of my community who would see thousands of job opportunities in our district.”

ROCKFORD – To address food deserts and prevent grocery store closures, State Senator Steve Stadelman joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in announcing over $2.2 million in grants for District 34 stores.

“Preventing grocery store closures is the key to reducing food insecurity, promoting healthy living and maintaining vibrant, self-sustaining communities,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Everyone deserves access to fresh, high-quality food.”

The New Stores in Food Deserts and Equipment Upgrades programs support the establishment of new grocery stores in USDA-defined food deserts and preserve access to fresh food in communities at risk of becoming food-insecure. Grants will fund construction, renovation and first-year operational costs for new stores, and will support existing grocery stores in securing energy-efficient equipment upgrades.