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Illinois Tollway oasis

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The Belvidere Oasis
The O'Hare Oasis

An Illinois Tollway oasis is a type of commercialized rest area sited along interstate highways that are toll roads in Illinois, United States.[1] The seven oases offer food and gasoline vendors and are found in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, DeKalb, and Belvidere. Although the oases date back to the original tollway construction in 1958, they were redeveloped in 2003–05 by Wilton Partners, a private developer. The redevelopment of the oases has been the focal point of alleged political corruption. The seven oases are administered by a court-appointed manager following default of their developer, Wilton Partners.

Description and current status

As is typical for rest stops on toll highways, these areas are full service, or "commercialized," as a result of concessions awarded by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA).[2]

Over 30 million visitors come to the oases each year.[3] The oases in Illinois have gas stations (Mobil) with 24 hour automated car washes, fast food restaurants (McDonald's, Panda Express, Subway, etc.), and other various shops (such as Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Coleman Distributors, and TravelMart). Oases also have automatic teller machines. Six of the oases are built directly over the interstate highway they service. The oasis in DeKalb is the only exception, with the facility located along the southern (eastbound) side of Interstate 88, and a vehicle overpass allows westbound traffic to access a segregated parking lot and gas station along one side of the facility. All the oases provide free WiFi access for visitors. The oases have a drive through lane for the McDonald's. Five oases (except for Hinsdale and DeKalb) have Tollway Customer Service Centers, where I-Pass toll transponders are sold and serviced.[1][4] The oases have a total of 110,000 square feet (10,000 m2) of retail space.[5] As of 2009, the oases were 45 percent to 65 percent vacant. ISTHA has established a special task force to study of the oases' future.[6]

In December 2009, ExxonMobil, which operates gas stations and convenience stores at all seven oases, announced it is seeking to exit its lease and transfer responsibility to Combined Oil Co., a Lincolnshire-based fuel distribution company. The Tollway has 60 days to respond to the request.[7] In addition, the Illinois Department of Transportation has proposed a route for a new limited access highway on the west side of O'Hare Airport which would connect with the Jane Addams Tollway at the site of the Des Plaines Oasis. Unless another route is approved, the oasis would have to be demolished for the new road.[7]

History

The five original oases were built in conjunction with the original tollway construction in 1959 and featured Standard Oil (Amoco) gas stations and Fred Harvey restaurants. In the mid 1970s, Howard Johnson's took over the restaurants.[8] The Lincoln Oasis was added in 1968,[9] and the DeKalb Oasis opened in 1975.[10] Carrie Fisher attacks The Blues Brothers at an oasis in the famous 1980 film.

From 2003 to 2005, an extensive renovation program of these oases was completed. This involved demolishing the old oases structures to the bridge deck and replacing them with new buildings. Where in the previous buildings the view of the highways were blocked by the vendor restaurants, in the new buildings large expanses of glass are used to create a sense of openness, and to give patrons better views of the highway. The steel truss design also has greater roof height (nearly 30 feet (9.1 m)*) than the old buildings, which increases visibility for the oases. The architects for the project were Cordogan Clark & Associates. The gas stations were rebuilt with canopes to cover the gas pumps. The oases were redeveloped at no cost or risk to the ISTHA. The $95 million investment was provided by Wilton Partners of Los Angeles, California, and ExxonMobil in exchange for a 25 year lease. Under the lease, Wilton would pay ISTHA a percentage of vendor sales with a minimum of $750,000 per year.[11]

The lease agreements between ISTHA, Wilton Partners, and various vendors have come under investigation by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. This investigation, reported on 30 December 2005, will determine if a conflict of interest existed between the lessees and a political fundraiser for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Antoin Rezko). DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett had also requested documents pertaining to these leases earlier in 2005.[12] According to the Chicago Tribune, the Subway restaurants in two oases are managed by the nephew of Tony Rezko, the controversial political fundraiser. In response, tollway spokesmen noted that Wilton Partners was selected during the administration of Governor George Ryan and that the lease gives Wilton discretion to select the individual vendors.[13]

The interior of the Belvidere Oasis building.

News accounts quoted businessmen who claimied that Jay Wilton, the President of Wilton Partners, encouraged them to donate funds to Blagojevich's 2003 gubernatorial campaign.[11] In December 2003, Wilton Partners reportedly gave Rezko's Panda Express franchise a 50% reduction in its rent at the oases.[11] In January 2007, Wilton stopped making required payments to ISTHA for the oases, and by February 2008, when the back rent grew to $1.4 million, Wilton and ISTHA entered into settlement negotiations.[11] However, in July 2008, the Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan rejected a proposed settlement where ISTHA would forego the $1.4 million in back rent in exchange for Wilton dropping a claim of $4.7 million for lost business due to tollway construction.[11] In the spring of 2009, Wilton Partners' lender, iStar Financial, foreclosed on the oases.[11] Subsequently, the court appointed U.S. Equities, a Chicago firm, to manage the oases pending the outcome of the foreclosure.[14] Further, another food vendor operating in all seven oases who donated to Blagojevich has also received press attention for failure to pay sales taxes and state unemployment insurance.[15]

On December 9, 2009, a truck driver standing at the gas station parking lot of the Belvidere oasis was killed when debris thrown by an explosion at an adjacent factory struck him. The six story factory building was hundreds of feet away from the oasis.[16]

Locations

The seven oases are spread along the Tollway, with each oasis serving traffic in both directions. The Lincoln Oasis is strategically placed to serve east-west traffic crossing Illinois on Interstate 80.[9] The DeKalb Oasis serves traffic crossing Illinois on Interstate 88,[10] and the Belvidere Oasis serves traffic travelling between Madison, Wisconsin, and Chicago on Interstate 90.[17] The Des Plaines and O'Hare oases also benefit from serving traffic, including returning rental cars, associated with O'Hare Airport.[18] The only Tollway that does not have an oasis on it is the Veterans Memorial Tollway, (Interstate 355), which opened decades after the other tollways and oases were built and was designed to serve local traffic.[19]

Name Route Milepost Location Coordinates
Belvidere Oasis[17] I-90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) 54.5 miles (87.7 km)* just east of Rockford, Illinois in Belvidere, IL 42°14′00″N 88°50′04″W / 42.23343°N 88.834567°W / 42.23343; -88.834567 (Belvidere Oasis).
DeKalb Oasis[10] I-88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) 93 miles (150 km)* near DeKalb, Illinois 41°54′01″N 88°44′21″W / 41.900178°N 88.739188°W / 41.900178; -88.739188 (DeKalb Oasis).
Des Plaines Oasis[18] I-90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) 4.5 miles (7.2 km)* near Des Plaines, Illinois 42°00′53″N 87°55′35″W / 42.014697°N 87.926464°W / 42.014697; -87.926464 (Des Plaines Oasis).
Hinsdale Oasis[20] I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) 25 miles (40 km)* near Hinsdale, Illinois 41°47′01″N 87°54′28″W / 41.783497°N 87.90785°W / 41.783497; -87.90785 (Hinsdale Oasis).
Lake Forest Oasis[21] I-94 (Tri-State Tollway) 18 miles (29 km)* near Lake Forest, Illinois 42°15′11″N 87°54′05″W / 42.252952°N 87.901346°W / 42.252952; -87.901346 (Lake Forest Oasis).
Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis[9] (I-80/294) (Tri-State Tollway) 1 mile (1.6 km)* near South Holland, Illinois 41°34′43″N 87°35′57″W / 41.57869°N 87.599052°W / 41.57869; -87.599052 (Lincoln Oasis).
O’Hare Oasis[22] (I-294) (Tri-State Tollway) 38 miles (61 km)* near Schiller Park, Illinois 41°57′02″N 87°52′57″W / 41.95056°N 87.882477°W / 41.95056; -87.882477 (O'Hare Oasis).

References

  1. ^ a b Illinois Tollway. "Rest and Refuel at a Tollway Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-23.
  2. ^ Federal regulations forbid commercial development at rest areas on toll-free interstates; 23 C.F.R. § 752.5 only toll roads can offer services to the public. The Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway in Kentucky and the Connecticut Turnpike have service areas that have been grandfathered because they were built when their associated highways were toll roads. Some rest areas along the New York State Thruway and almost all along the New Jersey Turnpike, Indiana Toll Road, Ohio Turnpike, Florida's Turnpike ("Service Plazas". Retrieved 2009-11-12.), Turnpikes of Oklahoma (McNutt, Michael (October 31, 2009). "Eatery updates set for Will Rogers Turnpike". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2009-11-14.), and Pennsylvania Turnpike ("Service Plazas". Retrieved 2009-11-12.) are also "commercialized" to at least some extent.
  3. ^ Wilton Partners (2007). "Illinois Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  4. ^ "Illinois Tollway to operate customer service centers at 'Oasis' service plazas". Tollroad News. 2007-02-18. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
  5. ^ Thomas A. Corfman (January 8, 2007). "Oasis money drying up for tollway". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  6. ^ Pyke, Marni (Nov. 25, 2009). "Tollway officials: We're 'not good' at running oases". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2009-12-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b Pyke, Marni (January 2, 2010). "O'Hare bypass threatens Des Plaines oasis". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  8. ^ Bean, Ron. "Illinois Oasis Tollway History". Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  9. ^ a b c Illinois Tollway. "Lincoln Oasis". Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  10. ^ a b c Illinois Tollway. "DeKalb Oasis". Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Daily Herald. Aug 15, 2009 http://www.dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=313967. Retrieved 2009-11-12. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  12. ^ Crain's Chicago Business "Birkett requests tollway oasis docs". Crain Communications, Inc. 2005-3-4. Retrieved 2007-3-19. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Tollway oasis pact rich with links to governor's allies". Chicago Tribune. February 13, 2005. Retrieved 2009-11-12. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Pyke, Marni (Nov. 5, 2009). "Tollway gets an earful on oasis contracts at hearing". Daily Hearld. Retrieved 2009-11-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Tax debt no bar to tollway deal". Chicago Sun Times. December 13, 2007. Retrieved 2009-11-12. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Debris from explosion kills trucker at Belvidere Oasis". Chicago Tribune. December 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-13. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  17. ^ a b Illinois Tollway. "Belvidere Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  18. ^ a b Illinois Tollway. "Des Plaines Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  19. ^ Kemp, Jan (2006-06-28). "Why isn't there an oasis on the North-South tollway?". Archived from the original on 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2007-11-15. Via an interview/response through the Daily Herald.
  20. ^ Illinois Tollway. "Hinsdale Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  21. ^ Illinois Tollway. "Lake Forest Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  22. ^ Illinois Tollway. "O'Hare Oasis". Retrieved 2009-12-13.

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