Mokena Extends Downtown TIF District to 2032 to Bolster Redevelopment

Mokena Village Board Meeting | September 22, 2025

Article Summary: The Mokena Village Board has formally approved a three-year extension for its downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district, moving its expiration date from 2029 to 2032. The move is intended to capture additional revenue to support ongoing and future redevelopment projects, with village officials also planning to seek a further 12-year legislative extension.

Mokena TIF District Key Points:

• The board unanimously approved extending the downtown TIF district by three years, the maximum allowed by local ordinance without state legislative approval.

• Established in 2009, the TIF district’s revenue growth was initially stunted by the national recession but has since seen a steady rebound.

• Past TIF-funded projects include reimbursements for businesses like Tribes Brewing and The Dock, as well as village-led sidewalk and environmental work.

• The village plans to pursue a 12-year extension from the Illinois General Assembly during the 2026 spring session.

The Mokena Village Board on Monday, September 22, 2025, unanimously approved an ordinance to extend the life of its downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for an additional three years, pushing its expiration from December 31, 2029, to December 31, 2032.

The move allows the village to continue capturing the growth in property tax revenue within the designated downtown area to fund public improvements and incentivize private redevelopment. Assistant Village Administrator and Community Development Director Brent Cann explained that while the village initially established a 20-year term for the TIF in 2009, state law permits a local extension to a total of 23 years.

During his presentation, Cann outlined the TIF district’s history, noting that its financial growth was initially hampered because its base property value, or Equalized Assessed Value (EAV), was established just before the national recession. Consequently, the EAV dropped and did not begin to produce meaningful revenue, or “increment,” until it recovered in recent years.

“Since its inception, the Downtown TIF has funded multiple projects, including redevelopment reimbursements (Tribes Brewing, Zap! Taco, 11116 Front Street), Village-led sidewalk and remediation improvements, and site preparation activities,” Cann stated, according to meeting minutes. “These efforts have catalyzed downtown renewal, but several initiatives remain underway or in need of support to achieve the full goals of the original Redevelopment Plan.”

Examples of projects funded by the TIF include a $103,830 reimbursement for Tribes Brewing and $94,000 for The Dock.

With the TIF district now on a “stable financial trajectory,” the extension will allow the village to capitalize on the positive revenue growth to complete more redevelopment projects. The process for the three-year extension requires mailing notices to affected taxing districts and publishing a public notice, but it does not require a new public hearing since the fundamental nature of the redevelopment plan is not changing.

In addition to the local extension, Cann noted that the board reached a consensus during a previous work session to prepare a legislative case for an additional 12-year extension, which would require approval from the Illinois General Assembly during its 2026 spring session. The board’s action on Monday formalizes the first step in this long-term strategy to continue revitalizing the downtown area.