Southern Illinois is earning international recognition for two projects demonstrating how collaboration, strategic investment, and innovative redevelopment can create new opportunities across the region. 

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has recognized two Southern Illinois initiatives with 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Awards. Southern Illinois Now (SI Now) received a Gold Excellence Award for Best Use of Federal Resources for the SI Now Top 20 Sites Project, while The Oasis Project in Marion received a Silver Excellence Award for Real Estate Development & Reuse. 

The two awards highlight very different approaches to economic development, but both share a common theme: bringing partners and resources together to position Southern Illinois for long-term growth. 

Turning $129,000 into Nearly $10 Million 

SI Now’s Gold Excellence Award recognizes the Top 20 Sites Project, an initiative launched in 2024 with a $129,000 Strategic Planning Program grant from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). 

The project evaluated 20 industrial development sites across DRA’s 16-county footprint in southernmost Illinois, examining infrastructure capacity, utilities, transportation access, environmental considerations, and overall development potential. Working with Global Location Strategies and Schneider Consulting, SI Now ultimately identified five priority sites for more advanced development planning.
The return on that initial investment has been significant. 

Since the project was completed, participating communities and projects have secured nearly $10 million in additional site readiness funding through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, representing approximately a 70-to-1 return on the original federal investment. 

But the impact extends beyond the dollars invested. 

The Top 20 Sites Project created a more unified strategy for industrial development across Southern Illinois, strengthened collaboration among communities and utility partners, and better positioned regional sites to compete for business attraction opportunities. The effort also aligned Southern Illinois with the Illinois EDC’s statewide Vetted Sites program, increasing the region’s visibility among national site selectors. 

For SI Now, the Gold Award is another significant milestone for an organization established just three and a half years ago. In that short time, SI Now has now received three IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Awards, including two Silver Awards and one Gold Award. 

The Oasis Project Earns Silver 

Southern Illinois’ second 2026 IEDC honor recognizes one of the region’s most visible redevelopment projects. 

The Oasis Project in Marion received a Silver Excellence Award for Real Estate Development & Reuse, recognizing the transformation of the former Illinois Centre Mall and surrounding area into a growing mixed-use destination. 

What was once a declining 350,000-square-foot retail property is being reimagined as a center for entertainment, recreation, tourism, hospitality, and commerce. 

The redevelopment utilizes Illinois’ first Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond district, allowing future sales tax revenues generated within the development to help support major infrastructure investments. 

The district includes attractions and businesses such as ThrillHouse Family Entertainment Center, Oasis Powersports, Black Diamond Harley-Davidson, Oasis RV and Motorhomes, and the growing Oasis Sports Complex. The development is expected to create approximately 2,000 jobs and attract more than 1.5 million visitors annually. 

Investment within and surrounding the STAR Bond district has grown from approximately $30 million to more than $60 million, while combined public and private investments tied to the district now exceed $200 million. Ten new restaurants and multiple hotels have also been added or are under development. 

The result is a redevelopment project that is transforming an aging retail property into a regional destination and demonstrating how communities can find new economic opportunities in properties that once represented significant redevelopment challenges. 

[Learn more about the Oasis project in the Spring 2026 NOW! Magazine feature]   

A Regional Success Story 

While the Top 20 Sites Project and The Oasis represent different types of economic development, both illustrate the value of collaboration across Southern Illinois. 

Communities, economic development organizations, utilities, private investors, state and federal agencies, and other regional partners have played important roles in moving these initiatives forward. 

“These awards belong to the many partners who embraced collaboration and believed in the potential of Southern Illinois,” said Deb Barnett, PhD, Senior Advisor for Southern Illinois Now. “The success of these initiatives demonstrates that strategic planning, innovative thinking, and regional partnership can produce transformational outcomes for communities of any size.” 

The two IEDC awards add to a growing list of investments and projects demonstrating momentum across Southern Illinois. From preparing the next generation of industrial sites to transforming existing properties into new destinations, the region continues to find ways to compete for investment, create jobs, and strengthen communities. 

And now, those efforts are receiving international recognition. 

Two projects. Two international awards. One region moving forward.