DECATUR, IL - When Queen Anne Realty, a New Jersey-based firm, purchased the 2,197,775-square- foot, former Bridgestone/Firestone facility in Decatur in March 2003, principal Jaime Weiss, promised to develop the site to its “highest and best use.” Today, the redevelopment of the 147-acre property is well underway.

Keen Transportation, Inc., a transporter of construction equipment and machinery, purchased a six-acre piece parcel to increase storage space for equipment awaiting transport from the nearby Catepillar plant on 27th Street. Subsequently, Caterpillar leased 488,000 square feet of the existing 782,000-square feet of industrial space for expanded warehousing and distribution.

More recently, the site was renamed Decatur Commerce Park and a comprehensive marketing campaign was launched to promote the prime industrial space and the exciting potential for new industrial and retail development planned on 22nd Street.

Situated at the geographic center of Illinois, Decatur is an ideal business location that is well connected by air, rail, and highway. It is home to Millikin University as well as several Fortune 500 Companies, including two of the world’s largest agricultural processors. Served by Interstate 72, U.S. 51 and 36, and Illinois Routes 48,121 and 105, the city is only a few hour’s drive from St. Louis, Chicago, and Indianapolis, and just 40 miles east of Springfield, the state capital. Only four miles from the city’s downtown, Commerce Park draws from a population of 855,000 within a 60-mile radius and is passed by 25,000 cars daily.

“Decatur’s many attributes make it a great place to live and work and our plans for Decatur Commerce Park will enhance the area by including facilities for recreation, entertainment, shopping, dining, and personal services,” Weiss explained. “ We purchased this property because we felt the coming economic upturn in Decatur would create unlimited opportunities for development. We are well on the way to achieving that goal.”