(The Associated Press circulated the following on September 3, 2009.)
JOLIET, Ill. — Officials in Joliet are celebrating the construction of a new transportation hub that’s expected to create about 6,000 construction jobs and thousands more permanent ones.
Ocean-going containers will be taken on and off rail cars at a Union Pacific Railroad terminal within CenterPoint Properties’ new hub in Joliet.
Railroad spokesman Mark Davis says the terminal is expected to be completed next summer.
Gov. Pat Quinn joined other officials to celebrate the development by signing their names in cement bricks Thursday.
Quinn signed a new law last month that allows state income taxes attributed to the jobs created at the facility to be used to reimburse CenterPoint up to $3 million annually for infrastructure improvements over the next six fiscal years.