Kankakee City Council approves QuickTrip permit extension, riverfront engineering and multiple resolutions
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Summary
At its Feb. 2 meeting the Kankakee City Council unanimously approved a one-year extension of a conditional-use permit for a QuickTrip convenience store and fuel sales, authorized engineering services and state grant paperwork for the Kankakee Riverfront Trail, and passed several routine bills and resolutions.
Kankakee City Council on Feb. 2 unanimously approved a package of ordinances and resolutions that advance a major downtown trail project, extend a developer’s permit for a convenience store, and clear routine city bills.
The council voted 13–0 to extend by one year the conditional-use permit for a QuickTrip convenience store and fuel sales (Ordinance No. 20 25-10). Mayor Curtis told the council the project remains delayed largely by utility relocations; the developer expects to record the plat this week, begin tree and brush removal by Feb. 13, and hopes to break ground in mid– to late April, with a target completion date of no later than May 27, weather permitting. Alderman Swanson moved to suspend the rules and place the ordinance on final reading; the motion and final passage carried unanimously.
Council members also approved engineering and grant-related paperwork for the Kankakee Riverfront Trail Phase 3a (phase 2 engineering), the portion running along Kennedy Drive and under Court Street toward Station Street. Mayor Curtis said phase 2 engineering is covered by grant funds and that the state of Illinois will provide $5,000,000 for the construction phase with no local match. Alderman Lewis moved approval of the local public agency engineering services agreement; the motion passed 13–0. The council also approved a supplemental resolution under the Illinois Highway Code to facilitate the grant work (13–0).
Other actions taken include:
- A street closure request for the Rhubarb Festival (South 8th Avenue between West Charles Street and West Water Street) on May 17, 2026, 7 a.m.–5 p.m., approved 13–0. - Adoption of City of Kankakee bills totaling $805,481.65 (13–0); one council member announced abstentions on specific vendor checks to avoid conflicts but the overall vote was recorded as 13 ayes. - Approval of Environmental Services Utility bills totaling $364,730.90 (13–0). - An ordinance amending Ordinance No. 20 22-57 to remove 770 Park Avenue from the city’s improved-parcel-sale list so the property can be sold to a local investor for renovation (motion and final passage 13–0). - A resolution waiving competitive bidding and awarding a contract to GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc. for incidental-take authorization tied to FERC relicensing and hydroelectric plant rehabilitation work; Superintendent Newton said the work addresses potential threatened and endangered species issues to allow relicensing work to continue (13–0). - A post–executive-session resolution approving the content and retention of certain closed-session minutes (13–0).
Where votes were unanimous, the minutes record a 13–0 roll call. Several items had brief staff presentations explaining timelines, grant funding, or regulatory requirements; little extended debate was recorded. The council entered executive session to review closed minutes under the authority read aloud in the meeting and returned to approve a resolution implementing retention and content decisions.
Next steps: the Riverfront Trail project will proceed with engineering work and state grant paperwork; the QuickTrip project will continue utility relocations and plat recording before site work begins. The contracts and ordinances approved at this meeting clear administrative and regulatory steps but do not themselves authorize construction beyond the permit extension or begin construction work.
