The Galesburg City Council on Monday approved a memorandum of understanding that will allow Burlington Junction Railway to evaluate potential development of 98 acres of the Galesburg Business Park.
Under the agreement, Burlington Junction Railway will provide advice on rail engineering plans, recruit potential rail users and assist with grant and loan opportunities for development of the park.
The Galesburg Business Park is southeast of the city, bordered by Interstate 74, U.S. 150 and the BNSF Railway.
The remaining 231 acres of the park are also expected to see “shovels in the ground” by spring 2027, according to City Manager Eric Hanson, as a project by The DeLong Co. moves forward.
DeLong is building a grain handling and export facility that will allow agricultural products to be loaded onto railcars and shipped out of Galesburg.
That project, which includes funding from a $25 million Federal Railroad Administration grant, is about two-thirds of the way through the grant evaluation process. Hanson said reviews related to environmental and historic preservation issues are complete, with a required 60-day public comment period expected next.
Hanson also said a pending agreement and real estate action will come before the City Council in 60 to 90 days.
Hanson said the agreement with Burlington Junction Railway will not require the city to pay consulting fees or meet financial obligations, while allowing the railway to help create potential investment opportunities.
The council also completed annexation of a city-owned 6.76-acre lot that adjoins Bunker Links Municipal Golf Course and Lincoln Park.
The city bought the property in June 2025 for $63,000, seeing it as a site with potential for future development. There are no immediate or long-term plans for the land, and five acres continue to be leased to Hawkinson Bros. Inc. for $200 an acre.
The council approved the purchase of an acoustic water leak detection system for $39,375.
The system uses sound to “listen” to pressurized pipes for signs of leaks. Hanson and the director of public works said the city’s water system is old, and catching smaller leaks can help prevent long-term issues and costs.
The council also approved:
An application for a disc golf tournament by the Galesburg Gauntlet at the Kiwanis and Lake Storey parks disc golf courses. The event will take place June 27.
A service contract between Galesburg Public Transportation and the Knox County Health Department.
The donation of a decommissioned 2013 Ford Explorer, a former police vehicle, to the Galesburg Area Vocational Center for use in law enforcement courses. The vehicle will replace one donated by the city in 2012.
A 20-foot by 110-foot easement at the Harrel W. Timmons Galesburg Regional Airport to allow connection of a solar panel project to Ameren infrastructure.
The purchase of a 2027 Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD for the Galesburg Police Department for $49,768. The vehicle will replace one totaled in an October 2025 crash.
The acceptance of bids on 12 city-owned lots, totaling $11,001.
An amendment to the airport solar site lease agreement.
An agreement with BNSF for work at the First and Pearl streets crossing. Crossing gates and new warning lights will be installed. Hanson said the project is the start of work on multiple railroad crossings in southeastern Galesburg.
During closing comments, several council members noted the recent deaths of Leland Chandler, a 103-year-old World War II veteran and prisoner of war survivor, and longtime community volunteer Sallee Wade.
Mayor Peter Schwartzman closed the meeting by quoting Wade from public comment she made during a May 2023 council meeting, when she described her vision for “the lighthouse Galesburg could be.”
