Spotlight On: Lake Calumet Industrial Corridor

Calumet Industrial Corridor: Why This Area?

Lake Calumet Industrial Growth Zone has more than 250 acres of land with industrial development potential and a competitive commercial property market that includes over 1,500 companies and 83,000 manufacturing employees. The existing businesses in this industrial corridor have thrived for years with the area, experiencing little to no retention issues.

The largest employers in the area include:

• Ford Chicago Assembly Plant
• Kellogg Company
• Reiter America
• ITR Concessions
• Tower Automotive

Recently, the Zone has welcomed the New Chicago Rail & Port facility and the NorthPoint Development was just announced, a $169 million spec development.  Their 196-acre industrial campus will offer one of the largest industrial development opportunities in of Chicago. With premier access to transportation assets such as I-94, I-57 and the NS Calumet intermodal facility, the new development is a choice location for industrial users, especially companies involved in the transportation, distribution, logistics (TDL) and food and beverage manufacturing sectors.

Chicago has a robust workforce pipeline for food & beverage manufacturing and TDL

• Chicago ranks #1 in the country in food manufacturing employment with an established workforce of 57,000 in the industry. Transportation and transit assets provides premiere access to commuters across the metro area.
• Chicago offers access to the largest trucking workforce in the nation and the 2^nd largest warehousing market with a combined TDL workforce of over 190,000 people in the Chicago metro
• Chicago offers access to the second largest manufacturing labor shed in the U.S., including many highly-skilled positions that have developed over decades.
• Nearly $100 million in investment is currently deployed in higher education facilities to help produce the highly-skilled professionals needed to meet future manufacturing and TDL related workforce demand.

Cost-Effective Relocation

• Much of the Lake Calumet Industrial Corridor is located within TIF and Enterprise Zones and is zoned PMD, which allows for flexibility in site design and permitted industrial uses
• Through the Industrial Growth Zone Program, developers and companies have access to a dedicated concierge service with the City of Chicago to serve as a single point of contact to expedite all permitting and governmental assistance
• Additional benefits are expected to be made available through Chicago’s Opportunity Zones program pending boundary certification in the coming months.

Top Sites Within the Lake Calumet Industrial Corridor:

Site 1: 10600 S. Torrence Avenue

• City-owned 3.3-acre vacant lot available for immediate development
• Supported by potential city and state funding to meet customized road transportation needs
• Less than two miles from I-94 highway and rail yards
• Located near existing transportation manufacturing cluster as well as large TDL and food manufacturing employers

Site 2: NorthPoint Spec Development at 116^th Street and Avenue O

• 196-acre future industrial park – 2.2 million square feet, 6 industrial facilities
• Enterprise Zone benefits

Site 3: 126^th Street Campus

• Privately-owned 31-acre Chicago Manufacturing Campus
• 35,000-150,000 square feet build-to-suit opportunity for sale or lease
• Located in Enterprise Zone
• Access to I-94/I-57 highway

To learn more about the Industrial Growth Zone sites and business development opportunities please visit www.growthzones.com or contact Dennis Vicchiarelli at dvic@worldbusinesschicago.com.