Jacksonville workforce-housing project moves ahead with land purchase talks

Jacksonville’s push for workforce housing moved into a more concrete phase as city leaders talked about buying roughly 100 acres for a 500-lot development meant to help keep teachers, hospital staff, first responders and service workers living in town. The proposed RISE Development would sit off Massey Lane, Lincoln Avenue and the Western Knolls subdivision, behind The Home Depot, on land officials say could become one of the city’s most consequential growth sites.

The Jacksonville City Council approved a resolution to pursue a purchase agreement with 4 Camp LLC for the property, but the deal still depends on the state grant and the city’s local match. City staff told the council Jacksonville had budgeted $500,000 toward that match and still needed about $382,000 more to reach a $2.5 million combined project fund. The land purchase is intended to make the site shovel-ready for private developers.

The $2 million workforce-housing award was announced in downtown Jacksonville by Gov. JB Pritzker on April 22, 2025, as part of a broader $30 million state package for downtown revitalization projects across Illinois. Mayor Andy Ezard has said the plan may sound ambitious, but he sees it as a picture of how Jacksonville should think about its future. Before any home building begins, the city still needs state budget approval for the grant money, then must close on the property and hand the site to a developer.

The concept shown to the council goes far beyond a basic subdivision. The layout calls for a pool, pickleball courts, a dog park, a playground and athletic fields, turning the proposal into a neighborhood plan rather than just a collection of lots. Dr. Charles Riggs of Illinois College presented the site layout after storms interrupted the student presentation that had been planned for the meeting.

The need behind the proposal is tied to keeping people in Jacksonville after school, work and training. A city survey found about 42% of college students wanted to stay in Jacksonville after graduation, but said they were not aware of the housing or job options available to them. The project is aimed at households earning up to $121,000 a year, with some housing also intended for residents below that level, a sign that city leaders see the shortage as a retention problem as much as a housing one.