The city of Chicago revealed on Friday which sites they included in the proposal to Amazon for the company’s second headquarters, according to a statement from the mayor’s office. The list of sites include dense downtown locations and campus-like suburban environments.
“The sites identified in Chicago’s bid for HQ2 demonstrate the region’s unparalleled potential to support Amazon’s future growth,” Mayor Emanuel said in a statement. “The combination of these prime locations with the country’s most educated population, diversified economy and connected transportation system make it clear that Chicago is the ideal city for Amazon’s second headquarters as the company continues to expand.”
1. The Downtown Gateway District: The city offers up a collection of move-in ready buildings including space in the Willis Tower, Old Main Post Office and a new development at Union Station.
2. City Center Campus: The selling point of this location is it’s proximity to the CTA rail and bus lines, commuter trains, bike lane and the pedway. The future campus would be integrated into existing infrastructure.
3. Lincoln Yards: Nearly 70-acres of riverfront between Bucktown and Lincoln Park is a site that could put Amazon’s HQ2 in the center of several dense neighborhoods. It also allows the company the option to easily expand.
4. The River District: This newer neighborhood near Chicago’s city center has 37-acres of continuous riverfront land and offers residential, entertainment and public transportation.
5. Fulton Market: No surprise this made this list as this neighborhood is one of the hot spots in Chicago real estate right now. The neighborhood is a mix of start-ups and innovative corporate headquarters including Google, McDonald’s and WeWork with plenty of entertainment and residential offerings.
6. The Illinois Medical District: Just west of downtown, surrounded by three colleges, four medical centers this area is within walking distance of the city center and experiences like Littly Italy and Greektown.
7. The 78: This recently-announced, massive development project has 62-acres of undeveloped land. The ambitious project aims to transform the area into an innovation hub focusing on partnerships between research universities and local businesses that aim to spur economic development.
8. Burnham Lakefront: The location extends from McCormick Place to 31st Street Beach. More than 12 million square feet of mixed-use development anchors the community and has several development options.
9. Schaumburg: Previously this site was the headquarters for Motorola for over 50 years. The area makes a strong foundation for Amazon and is just 17 minutes west of O’Hare. About 265 acres would be up for development which could include housing, restaurants, entertainment and a hotel.
10. Oak Brook: Here there will be a lot of open space with McDonald’s relocation to Fulton market. The site has a private entrance and four existing buildings which include a headquarters building, a prarie-style office building, training center with a laboratory and kitchen and a Hyatt managed hotel.
