While recent comings and goings at the Rock City Admiral Parkway Development in Old Valmeyer have raised a few eyebrows, those involved with the operation say the action is only “exploratory,” for the time being.

Admiral Parkway, Inc. owner and president Joe Koppeis told the Republic-Times an engineering firm is currently working in an unoccupied part of Rock City – located in a section of the bluffs which once served as a limestone quarry – to see “what can and can’t be done” regarding potential additions and expansions.

Koppeis said the team has taken geological samples by boring into the roof and floor of a section of the caves in addition to collecting air quality samples.

He added there are currently no contracts for any new business operations at Rock City, reiterating the current work is concerned only with establishing the viability of potentially developing more of the complex.

Recent activity at Rock City produced several rumors which were dispelled during the July 15 meeting of the Valmeyer Village Board.

Valmeyer Village President Howard Heavner echoed Koppeis, telling the Republic-Times on Tuesday the goal of work at Rock City is informational only, also mentioning the absence of any new business contracts.

Heavner said the work is to “test the integrity” of the cave system and determine if there is any shale mixed in with the limestone which constitutes much of the cave system’s interior.

Shale and limestone are both classified as sedimentary rock, although shale is much softer than limestone and is prone to compacting,  Heavner explained.

He continued by noting a significant presence of shale would make potential development virtually impossible due to the high likelihood of structural instability.

The work is expected to continue through this week, although the results of the tests will determine if any future activity is to be expected.   

The Rock City development, established in 2000, is currently home to food distribution storage for Little Caesars Pizza, Cargill Meat Solutions, Louisa Foods and others, a data storage center and the National Personnel Records Center Annex which houses federal records in a climate controlled environment.

During establishment of the Rock City complex,  the Village of Valmeyer established the Rock City Admiral Parkway Development Tax Increment Financing District through 2023.

An amended Rock City TIF district was extended through 2035 on behalf of the village through an act of Illinois legislation in late 2022.

In other business, the village passed its Fiscal Year 2026 budget during its July 1 meeting.

The village is slated to gain nearly $100,000 in revenue through all of its general fund operations and service departments. 

The only line which shows a projected loss in the upcoming budget year involves the village’s infrastructure projects. 

A previously-reported village siren system replacement at a cost of $33,000 and $50,000 in expected street repairs are part of the projected $55,000 deficit, but both combined do not add up to half of the $250,000 included in this year’s budget earmarked for a water line installation project.

There are no imminent construction plans for the water line initiative, though.

Heavner said the village  wanted to have the money budgeted for a couple of reasons.

One involves the City of Waterloo’s new water treatment facility just east of village limits that went online in late 2024 and several related well reservoirs along Bluff Road that service the water distribution mains. 

Heavner said the village is taking preliminary steps to facilitate potential installation of approximately 200 feet of pipe in the village, stopping a few feet short of Waterloo’s water line along Route 156. 

Heavner said the board decided to allot funds for the water lines as a contingency in the event of a situation that could cause long-term disruption of water service in Valmeyer.

He also said the village wanted to have options for water service should the village not reach an agreement with Fountain Water District – the village’s current provider – when Valmeyer’s water contract expires in a few years.

Heavner reiterated there are no plans for immediate installation – although the board’s action earlier this month clears the way for the village to cover a range of scenarios to provide residents water service with minimal disruption.

The village is also preparing for the departure of Marty Seitz as Valmeyer police chief in early 2026, it was announced earlier this month.

VPD officer Terry Marquardt will take over as chief when Seitz steps down.

Seitz will continue in a part-time role with the department when Marquardt is sworn in. Read more about Seitz in the Aug. 6 issue of the Republic-Times.

The village is also making plans for a summer 2026 celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.

Trustees approved a resolution on July 15 stating its intentions of joining other Illinois municipalities in celebrating the Semiquincentennial.

Village Manager Dennis Knobloch spoke from his experience in helping organize the Monroe County Centennial in 2016 and local Bicentennial events in 1976, saying work needs to begin now despite the anniversary being almost a full year away.

Knobloch added he still had files and plans from 1976 which he will review ahead of organizing formal arrangements for next summer.