The 12th Annual Outstanding Developments of the Year Awards Luncheon was held on Monday, December 7, 2009 at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Illinois. Guest Speakers were Madison County Board Chairman, Alan Dunstan and St. Clair County Board Chairman, Mark Kern.

     St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern                     Madison County Board Chairman Alan Dunstan

State Representative Tom Holbrook received an award for outstanding contributions to economic development in Southwestern Illinois. Gary Hannig, Secretary of Transportation, accepted an award honoring former Senator Frank Watson's outstanding service to Southwestern Illinois.

Pictured left to right, Robert Lombardi, Chairman of SWIDA's Board of Directors, Representative Tom Holbrook and Michael Lundy, Executive Director of SWIDA.

Three projects were presented awards at SWIDA's 12th Annual Outstanding Developments of the Year Awards Luncheon: Tri-City Regional Port District, Scott Air Force Base and the City of Granite City, Illinois.

Scott Air Force Base

Scott Air Force Base was recognized for its estimated $1.6 billion economic impact on the region and millions of dollars in new development during the last few years. With more than 10,000 service personnel and 3,000 additional jobs, Scott AFB is the fourth largest employer in the St. Louis region.

As home of the 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott AFB makes possible the command and control of the United States' entire military transportation effort. The 375th Air Mobility Wing is comprised of several staff agencies and four groups: the 375th Medical Group, 375th Operations Group, 375th Mission Support Group and 375th Communications Group.

The 375th Air Mobility Wing supports four major headquarters and a numbered air force with worldwide responsibilities: U.S. Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command, the Surface Deployment Distribution Command, Defense Information Technology Systems Agency and the 18th Air Force. It also provides support for the Air Force Communications Agency, the Defense Information Technology Contracting Office, the 932nd Airlift Wing (Reserve) and the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing--along with approximately 66 other associate partner units.

 
Tri- City Regional Port District

The Tri-City Regional Port District was honored for pumping $200 million into the local economy in the past year and providing more than 1,300 jobs at the 1,200-acre former army depot. The Port District is strategically located in the heart of the U.S. on the Mississippi River adjacent to an excellent highway system. Its River’s Edge development, is located in the cities of Granite City, Madison and Venice, Illinois. The Port, and its tenants, offer a wide range of services and facilities including barge, rail and truck transfer of commodities, industrial, commercial and residential development sites, and warehouse and commercial lease opportunities.

City of Granite City

The City of Granite City was recognized for several developments in the past year to revitalize the downtown area including street improvements in the downtown district, a new three-screen movie theater and infrastructure improvements spurring developments on Route 3 and Route 203.

Numerous infrastructure improvement projects are in progress or completed including street repaving of the entire city, sewer updates and the new West Pontoon Road overpass. In the downtown area, the Niedringhaus Streetscape project was completed and building a new four-screen movie theater has begun. A building in the downtown area is being renovated into a Youth Center/Sports Complex. Through efforts of the police department and improvements in the downtown area, the crime rate has been reduced by 60%. Infrastructure improvements have promoted commercial and retail developments along the Nameoki Road business corridor and on Route 3, including the opening of a new Lowe's

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Winners & Finalists

Gateway International Raceway - Madison

Sauget Business Park - Sauget

Lanter Company - Madison

Alton Center Business Park - Alton

Parson Place, Phase I - East Saint Louis

River's Edge - Granite City/Madison

Alton Steel, Inc. - Alton

The Fountains at Fairview - Fairview Heights

Hershey Foods Corporation Distribution Center - Pontoon Beach

Green Mount Crossing - Shiloh

Roho, Inc.-Belleville

USF Holland - Edwardsville

Alton Square Shopping Center - Alton

CDC Development Co. - East Saint Louis

State Street Shopping Center - E. Saint Louis

Illinois Distributing Co. - Belleville

Kraft Foods - Granite City

Unilever Midwest Distribution Center - Pontoon Beach

GMC Stadium - Sauget

Gateway International Golf Links - Madison

Lincoln Place Shopping Center - Fairview Heights

The Crown Hotel -East Saint Louis

Jackie Joyner- Kersee Youth Center - East Saint Louis

Gateway Commerce Center - Pontoon Beach

Empire Comfort Systems - Belleville

Mattingly Lumber & Millwork - Madison/Granite City

Beelman Truck Co./Racehorse Investments LLC  - Alorton

O.E.M. Systems - Centreville

Collinsville Crossing - Collinsville

Casino Queen - East St. Louis

Midcoast Aviation - Cahokia

Schneider National - Edwardsville

Eden Village Retirement Community - Glen Carbon

Gateway Energy and Coke - Granite City

Center Ethanol - Sauget