Mayor Emanuel and Cook County Board President Preckwinkle Launch Industrial Growth Zones Program

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today launched an unprecedented effort to generate new industrial investment in Chicagoland neighborhoods. The Industrial Growth Zones program will accelerate neighborhood development in seven designated areas over the next three years by removing longstanding hurdles to development and providing a broad set of services to support property owners and industrial businesses.  “Industrial Growth Zones will reinforce and revitalize Chicago’s great commercial strength by removing barriers to site development for businesses and spurring job growth across communities for our residents,” Mayor Emanuel said. “This joint effort will improve how property owners, industrial developers and businesses invest in our city’s neighborhoods, and unlock the potential for further economic growth.” “Growth Zones are designed to attract investment into and development of specific industrial areas to spur regional economic growth and generate real, sustainable jobs,” President Preckwinkle said. “The Industrial Growth Zones Initiative moves Cook County and the Chicago region in a new strategic direction.” The Industrial Growth Zone program is designed to address the two primary issues landowners and developers cite as obstacles to industrial site investment: vacant or unused land’s environmental conditions, and often-complex government regulations.