The failure of plans for a cannabis cultivation facility on the west side of Wheeling has created an opportunity for a local family business to relocate.
Capps Plumbing & Sewer intends to move to the industrial building at 160 W. Hintz Road. Founded in 1996 and still owned by the Capps family, today the company is located at 90 E. Marquardt Drive in Wheeling.
Capps’ current headquarters is a 20,000-square-foot building, so a move to the 59,450-square-foot building on Hintz Street would provide much more space. Capps currently has about 36 full-time employees and intends to hire between 15 and 20 more over the next three years, a village memo said.
“It’s great to see an existing Wheeling business expanding into this space,” said Village Manager Jon Sfondilis.
Two different cannabis cultivation companies had proposed taking over the vacant building, first in 2021 and then again last March after the original proposal failed.
But the most recent plan also failed.
The building was last used by AGSCO Corp. inhabited, an industrial dealer in minerals and blasting equipment. In 2021 it moved to Libertyville.
A company called Jomar Holding intends to buy the building and lease the space to Capps, according to village documents.
Capps’ purchase and relocation are conditional on the granting of a property tax break by Cook County officials, according to documents.
Cook County’s regular commercial property tax rate is 25% of fair market value, but the county can reduce the rate for 12 years. Property tax breaks are taxed at 10% of market value for the first 10 years, 15% for the 11th year and 20% for the 12th year.
Jomar Holding has applied for such a tax break.
If granted, the company has pledged to spend more than $90,000 to improve the facility, documents show. Plans include interior upgrades, exterior security lighting, painting and landscaping. If the request is denied, the improvements may not be implemented.
The village board will debate on Monday whether to support the deal.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Meetinghouse at 2 Community Blvd. It can be watched live online at youtube.com/@wheelingiltv.
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https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20230616/how-the-demise-of-a-planned-cannabis-facility-in-wheeling-created-an-opportunity-for-capps-plumbing
