Meridian Design Build recently completed construction on a 358,879-square-foot industrial spec building for NorthPoint Development in Chicago’s Hegewisch neighborhood. The new facility is located on a 31.18-acre redevelopment site at 12144 South Avenue O.
Meridian and NorthPoint worked together to implement an MBE/WBE participation program on the project with the goal of maximizing participation by businesses owned by minorities and women. The targets agreed upon between the city of Chicago and NorthPoint were significantly surpassed in both areas with participation by minority business enterprises exceeding the goal by more than $1 million and participation by women’s business enterprises exceeding the goal by more than $500,000.
“We’re very pleased to have been selected to work with NorthPoint on their first industrial building in Chicago. It’s been extremely rewarding to see their investment in the city of Chicago result in opportunities and economic benefits for those that live and work on Chicago’s Southeast Side” said Howard Green, executive vice president at Meridian Design Build.
“NorthPoint is truly committed to encouraging and supporting participation by people of color, women and local residents,” said Tom George, vice president of acquisitions at NorthPoint Development. “This ensures that developments like this not only bring jobs and economic opportunities, but also employ a workforce that reflects the diversity of the City and have greater impact when it comes to strengthening the communities that we serve.”
The project is the first building in NorthPoint Development’s $164 million investment in the 200-acre Avenue O Industrial Park, a new 2.3-million-square-foot, master-planned development. The site, previously home to Republic Steel (and vacant for more than two decades), is one of the largest industrial developments in the city of Chicago in 15 years. The new development is just a few miles from the nearby Ford Motors Chicago Assembly Plant and is immediately adjacent to the 1.6-million-square-foot Ford supplier industrial park which was acquired by NorthPoint in 2017.
The overall project will create more than 500 construction-related jobs and will result in approximately 1,140 permanent jobs. NorthPoint worked closely with Alderwoman Susan Sadlowski Garza and community organizations, many of whom participated in supplier and sub-contractor events, ensuring local employers had an opportunity to bid on work. NorthPoint also partnered with organized labor on a local Apprenticeship Expo for residents.
Architectural services for the project were provided by StudioNorth Architecture. Civil engineering services were provided by Jacob & Hefner Associates.
