There is no question that all signs are pointing in the right direction for the nation’s second-largest industrial market. Midway through the year, the vacancy rate has stabilized below 7 percent for the first time in over a decade. On top of that, quarterly deliveries totaled 4.5 million square feet, of which 3.9 million square feet was speculative. In the second quarter, 7.9 million square feet was absorbed. So what’s next for Chicago’s industrial occupiers? Luckily there are two seasons in Chicago, winter and construction. With that, state and federal agencies are collaborating on massive transportation infrastructure improvements, and funds continue to flow to improve and expand our region’s road and rail infrastructure. In addition, the Illinois Tollway has been proactively deploying capital for projects. As a result, industrial occupiers are benefitting from an enhanced flow of goods and more efficient distribution, while the industrial development community has responded with new speculative and build-to-suit projects in key areas to take advantage of these transportation improvements. I-57 Corridor Before 2014, there wasn’t a full four-way interchange at I-57 and I-294, which represented one of the few rare nodes in the nation where two interstates crossed paths but did not allow a …
