Quantum leap to take Far South Side steel plant into 21st Century

A former steel mill on Chicago’s Far South Side is coming into the 21st Century as a hub for cutting-edge technology with a $300 million investment from the state of Illinois.

The state and its development partners chose the former U.S. Steel South Works Plant on Lake Michigan for a 128-acre quantum computing campus, Crain’s reported. Silicon Valley startup PsiQuantum will anchor the development with its ambitions to build the largest quantum computer, occupying 300,000 square feet.

Illinois will invest $300 million into the campus and provide $200 million to PsiQuantum through grants, workforce development assistance, a low-interest loan and other incentives. To receive the funds, PsiQuantum must make a minimum investment of $1 billion. The firm will employ 150 people over a five-year period and plans to build multiple quantum systems at the site. 

Related Midwest, general contractor Clayco, and architecture firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative are handling development and construction of the campus. Once it is completed, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker anticipates over $20 billion in private and public investment to flow in as well as the creation of thousands of jobs. 

“The opportunity that lies ahead is enormous,” Pritzker said. “No other state is doing this. We’ve created something with centrifugal force.” 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is also enthusiastic about the campus and sees the project as a major win for the city. 

“This is one of the most transformational developments of the post-industrial age,” Johnson said. “It sends a strong signal to corporations that the city of Chicago is open for business. They could have gone anywhere in the country or anywhere in the state. They chose Chicago.”

The campus, called Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park, could revitalize the Far South Side and position the state as a leader in advanced computing innovation.

“It’s a dream site to build a data center-scale quantum computer,” said Pete Shadbolt, co-founder of PsiQuantum. “U.S. Steel is a symbol of American dynamism. The history of Illinois is not lost on us: The first sustained nuclear reaction at [Chicago Pile-1], Fermilab, Argonne, various universities. We entered into the process to build our first system in the United States with a very open mind.”

— Andrew Terrell

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