Chicago’s Inland Port Set for Major Expansion

A new 751K spec at CenterPoint’s complex in Joliet, IL.

CHICAGO—E-commerce has become the engine driving the industrial real estate market, and as the nation’s second busiest inland port, the Chicago area stands to benefit tremendously over the next few years. The availability rate recently dropped to just 6.6%, the lowest among 12 major inland ports recently analyzed by a research team from CBRE Group Inc.

As reported in GlobeSt.com, the large retailers, distributors and logistics firms that flock to these 12 ports have driven inventory growth at twice the national rate. But even this rate of expansion may not succeed in satisfying the robust demand in the Chicago region.