Chilling Expansion: Chicago’s cold storage boom

Map shows industrial cold storage facilities that are currently under development around Chicagoland.
  • The development of cold storage buildings in Chicago has surged, with 3.3 msf currently under construction across 10 buildings. All but one of these projects began in 2024, with 85% of the cold storage development being built on a build-to-suit basis. The largest project underway is Walmart’s highly automated perishables distribution facility in Belvidere spanning 1.25 msf and is expected to open in 2027.
     
  • This notable increase in demand for cold storage can largely be attributed to Chicago's strategic location as a major transportation and food hub which coupled with limited modern product has led many users to seek build-to-suit solutions to meet their needs. In total, 536,589 sf of cold storage was delivered in 2022 and 2023, further highlighting the shortage of new inventory. 
     
  • Other notable new food production and distribution facilities to open this year in Chicagoland include Haribo, Perla Foods and Meats by Linz. 

November 19, 2024

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