Related Midwest has secured the green light to build a 128-acre quantum computing campus on Chicago’s South Side.
The Chicago City Council unanimously voted Thursday to approve the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park, a state-of-the-art research campus located on the 440-acre former U.S. Steel South Works site, Crain’s reported.
The decision marks a significant step in making the city a national leader in quantum computing and innovation, an area that has the potential to revolutionize several industries.
The development, at 8080 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, will be a joint project between Related Midwest, CRG and the University of Illinois, with a focus on advancing quantum computing research. The first phase will include a 458,000-square-foot facility, part of the larger state-funded research campus.
PsiQuantum, a prominent Palo Alto-based startup, has already committed $1 billion to the project as the park’s anchor tenant, bringing further credibility and investment to the initiative.
The development will initially create 150 permanent jobs. The project’s scale is set to dwarf Chicago’s other major developments, including Lincoln Yards, The 78 and the United Center area.
Local officials, including Aldermen Greg Mitchell and Peter Chico, have voiced strong support for the initiative, recognizing the potential for the park to rejuvenate an area that has faced economic hardship since the closure of the U.S. Steel mill in the 1990s.
However, local community groups have concerns, urging the developers to agree to a community benefits package that ensures local residents have access to well-paying jobs, affordable housing, and preserved green space.
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The broader South Works site, which spans 440 acres, is slated for redevelopment, with potential for 59.3 million square feet of commercial and residential. While the quantum campus will occupy a smaller portion of the site, it is expected to serve as a focal point for the overall transformation of the South Side.
Federal support for the project includes $140 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which will help establish a quantum-testing facility on the campus.
— Andrew Terrell