Mayor McLeod touts multibillion-dollar data center investments, housing and public projects in 2026 State of the Village

Mayor Bill McLeod urged continued growth and community input in his 2026 State of the Village address, highlighting large private investments, housing developments and municipal projects intended to diversify the village's tax base and expand services.

"Compass Data Centers is giving new purpose to the West side of our community by investing over $10,000,000,000 to transform a legacy site into a modern data center campus," McLeod said. He also noted that "Microsoft has entered phase 2 construction on its data center campus along Lakewood Boulevard" and that "Phase 1 and phase 2 represents a $500,000,000 investment." Those projects, he said, help diversify the tax base and strengthen long-term financial stability for the community.

The mayor reviewed local commercial openings and expansions last year and this year, from new restaurants and retail to renovation work at Bell Works Chicagoland. He said the East Wing at Bell Works is 97% occupied and developers are planning another 500,000 square feet of office space and residential components, including townhomes and a proposed 335-unit apartment development at Barrington Square.

On housing and local projects, McLeod cited a range of private and public initiatives: townhomes in Kensington Fields, redevelopment of the former CDK Global property, plans for mixed-use and multifamily projects near the Now Arena, and village capital work that includes completion of a new Fire Station 21 and construction scheduled for Fire Station 22.

Infrastructure and planning items also featured in the address. The village adopted a multimodal transportation plan and established the ACTO Transportation Advisory Committee to assist implementation and monitoring. Work on the Hello Hoffman comprehensive and strategic plan continued, with outreach that the mayor said reached more than 2,000 people in phase 1.

McLeod also highlighted community initiatives and services: the village's dementia-friendly community certification and training for businesses, and the fully involved fire academy developed with the Northwest Special Recreation Association to serve residents with special needs. "Together, we've achieved incredible things and there's so much more to come," McLeod said.

The mayor closed by encouraging residents to take part in Hello Hoffman outreach tools available on the village website.