Taxpayers to Spend $4 Million on Former Quaker Oats Site Readiness

Illinois taxpayers will put $4 million toward preparing the former Quaker Oats factory site in Danville for future development. The plant closed in 2024, eliminating about 500 jobs and leaving a major industrial property vacant. Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced the funding Tuesday through the Regional Site Readiness Program. The grant is part of Pritzker’s $500 million site readiness initiative for fiscal year 2026. State officials say the goal is to make large sites more attractive to new employers and speed up redevelopment in communities hit by major job losses.