Naperville is a 41-square-mile community – bustling with economic activity that ranges from corporate headquarters to small family businesses, and everything in between. Furthermore, each distinct area of the community – from the I-88 corridor to the downtown area and all the different neighborhoods – have their own personalities and unique vibrancy, said Christine Jeffries, president of the Naperville Development Partnership.
Over the years, Naperville has won nearly every recognition including being named “One of the Top Places to Live” by Money Magazine in 2019 and winning the distinction of being the No. 1 Chicago Area Suburb for Retail Sales for the second year in a row. During 2018 Naperville saw $3.426 billion in retail sales, which is quite a feat, especially without a large shopping mall.
Beyond that, Naperville boasts over 300 top-notch restaurants and 19 hotels, with approximately 2,400 rooms.
Business along the I-88 corridor continues to be robust, Jeffries said, and Naperville’s industrial vacancy rate is very low.
Franklin Partners has renovated a 350,000-square-foot office building at 263 Shuman, making it into Class A office space, and “The Shuman,” as they have named it, is now looking for tenants.
“We are seeing fewer corporate campuses and more multi-tenant buildings these days,” Jeffries said, “which is creating a more diverse business community and job market.”
In the downtown area, the historic and architecturally-striking Nichols Library building at 110 S. Washington St., built in 1898, is in the process of being converted into a mixed use building featuring retail and restaurants on the first floor and condominiums on the floors above.
Nearby, at the corner of Washington Street and Gartner Road where the PNC Bank once stood, Tartan Development is constructing “The Shoppes on Washington,” a retail/office center.
On East Ogden Avenue, near the new Culver’s, an Australian company is opening its first Guzman y Gomez taqueria in the United States, which should be seen as quite a compliment to Naperville, Jeffries noted. And at the corner of Jefferson and Main, Filson, an outdoor gear retailer, opened in October.
The downtown has also attracted the Cinnaholic bun bakery, Top Fashion and Shakou, an upscale Asian fusion restaurant at the corner of Washington Street and Chicago Avenue.
Entertainment venues with an experiential focus are also flocking to Naperville, Jeffries said.
Whirlyball, a game that combines lacrosse, hockey, basketball and bumper cars in a game of skill coupled with a touch of chance, is opening next to Top Golf at 3103 Odyssey Ct. In addition, a new venue for everything from corporate team-building to juvenile birthday parties, Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park, has opened at 1955 Glacier Park Ave.