Police Chief Steve Kijanowski pins new insignia on James Mock, whose promotion to sergeant on the police force was noted at Monday’s City Council meeting. At left is Deputy Chief Michael Minx.

The much-delayed Sunpin Solar project in the Lininger Industrial Park might take a major step forward early next year.

Kathy Albert, director of the Kewanee Economic Development Corp. (KEDC), reported to the City Council Monday that the Sunpin Solar project is still in the works. Construction is planned next year, she said.

Sunpin, a California-based company, has announced several completion dates for the project but has encountered various delays in the past few years.

Albert said the company has renewed its lease on the industrial park, which is just across the tracks on the Page Street blacktop.

“Sunpin is heavily involved in the Kewanee solar project,” Albert told the council.

She noted that power lines connecting the solar site with an Ameren substation on West South Street.

The company is still awaiting state approval of the project, Albert said, and that could come in February.

When completed, the Sunpin project will increase the taxable value of the Lininger site almost tenfold.

The tax valuation of the property now is $57,000, Albert said. Solar facilities are appraised based on their output; the 24-megawatt Sunpin installation would have a tax valuation of nearly $5.4 million.

That valuation increase would mean increased revenue for the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund. That, in turn, would make more money available for TIF grants to local businesses.

Albert also reported that Great Dane is looking to add 10 to 15 acres to its trailer parking area in the Kentville Road Industrial Park. That industrial park is across the road from the Great Dane plant.

She said in 2020 Great Dane produced 5,795 trailers in Kewanee and employed 577 people here.

This year, the company has 590 employees in Kewanee and expects to produce 6,465 trailers here.

Albert also said Rob Benedict, owner of MSI, plans to rehabilitate the former Broken Chimney restaurant building on Tenney Street.

Benedict earlier purchased the Tenney Street property and is using buildings behind the restaurant building. He had at first planned to demolish the restaurant building, Albert said, but now he plans to repurpose it.