Oswego economic development staff outlines site‑selection strategy, reports $100,000 boost to incentive fund

Oswego — Village economic development staff told the Economic Development Commission on an evening meeting that the village is promoting available commercial sites, and that the village board recently added $100,000 to the economic development incentive award program, including $20,000 earmarked to Freddy’s Off the Chain, which opened this week.

Kevin McAdams, economic development staff, said the $100,000 increase was approved at the village board level and that the $20,000 for Freddy’s was needed because its 2021 incentive award had a condition tied to opening. "The village board added $100,000, $20,000 of which was to go to Freddy's Off the Chain," McAdams said. "So, there'll be $80 remaining in the fund — $80 and some change."

The presentation that followed detailed how real estate decisions are actually made by business owners, developers and site selectors rather than the municipality, and outlined what site characteristics most commonly drive deals: frontage and access for retailers, co‑tenancy, pad‑ready utilities, and available power for data centers. McAdams said Oswego’s recent residential growth — roughly 600 new housing units per year in recent…