A Small Community’s Experience -Foreign Trade Zone-

Where is Rantoul?

Rantoul

Rantoul / Chanute Context

• Selected for closure in the 1988 2174 acres• Closed in 1993• Inactive airfield at the time of closure• Rural Area• Airfield was reopened for general aviation. • Village is in the process of receiving final

transfer of property in the next 6-9 months.

Site 7 of FTZ 114• FTZ 114 is a multi-modal zone –

rail, air, river, road – serving the West Central, Central and East Central Illinois Region, providing over 2 million square feet of warehousing and distribution space available for General Purpose Zones usage and four Sub-zone sites.

• Site 7 Approximately 360 acres located on the former Chanute Air Force Base– Adjacent to airport– Interstate 57– Canadian National Railroad

• Site 7

Why Set up a Foreign Trade Zone

• Economic Development Tool– for base redevelopment– Regional economic development

• Complements our Enterprise Zone and Tax Increment Financing District

• Had Industries at the time that were interested in taking advantage of FTZ benefits

Process

• Started Process in 2006• Worked with Champaign County

Economic Development Corporation

• Looked at existing Zones to partner with– Peoria – Decatur– Closest CBP Port of Entry

• 60 miles or• 90 minutes driving time

• Peoria was agreeable

Process

• Met with FTZ officials to determine approach– Expansion of FTZ 114– Developed agreement to have FTZ 114 provide

support and assistance during the FTZ Expansion Application in early 2007

• Worked with Miller and Company P.C.

Process• Developed application under the Traditional Site Framework -

2007/2008– Expansion

• Application Requirements– General Site Information

• Justification

– Site Specific Information• Location• Description• Transportation Infrastructure• Physical Security• Businesses that occupy site

– Maps– Letters of Intent

Process• Upon Completion of Application

– Pre-Filing Review by an FTZ examiner to ensure application meets basic requirements

– Pre-Docketing• FTZ Board Meeting –9/2008

– Not technically required but useful to expedite process– Informative discussion to emphasize importance of project– Answer questions about application

• Congressional Meetings- 9/2008– Letters of support to be sent to agencies involved in the approval process

(Treasury, Commerce, Customs)• Formally File and Federal Register Notice (3/6/2009)

– 60 Day Public Comment Period– Review of Application by the FTZ Examiner

Process

• Application Approval• Interagency Review and Approval

– Customs– Treasury– Commerce

• Federal Register –October 16, 2009

What Happened &Next steps

• Difficult Economic Conditions in 2009/2010– Firms that had expressed interest had changed focus or

were gone

• Re-energizing– Working with Regional Economic Groups– New Mayor / Administrator/ Economic Development

Director– Marketing– Reengaging Local Business -2700 business in region that

could potentially use