MCCOOK, IL-Freeman Audio Visual Solutions is the first to signin a new 201,311-square-foot speculative building on 20 acres herein Clarius Park McCook. The property is one of only a handful ofindustrial sites built in 2009 that did not already have a fulltenant signed on.

Chicago-based Clarius Partners is the developer of the $28million new park, which is to include almost 370,000 square feet intwo facilities. However, though this first building is complete,the second building is still in the planning stage. Kevin Matzke,managing principal at Clarius, says there’s been a number ofdifferent prospects that could fill both buildings. “I’d like tothink that we’ll be all leased up by the middle of next year,” hetells GlobeSt.com. “This project is sort of a bell-whether for theregion, the rest of the market is watching to see if this is goingto be a successful project.”

There’s not a lot of new space possible so near Chicago, Matzkesays, and there’s been a lot of deals signed during the past 18months around McCook. Freeman’s lease is worth about $3.5 million,he says. "The average lease around here is about $6 per squarefoot, and this deal exceeded that," Matzke says. Larry Much, SteveConnolly and Kelly Disser with NAI Hiffman represented the tenantin the lease.