Online shopping and gentrification is fueling a bona fide building boom of warehouse spaces in Chicago.

Ryan Ori reports: "In the shadows of the apartment, hotel and office towers rising in recent years, an often unnoticed form of real estate has begun taking off in Chicago: warehouses."
"Developers are on track to complete at least seven speculative warehouses—constructed without leases signed in advance—in Chicago between late 2015 and the end of 2017, adding up to more than 1 million square feet of space," adds Ori.
"That is more than double the amount of spec industrial space built in the city in the previous 14 years combined…"
The sudden spec industrial space developments are filling a need created by rapidly growing online shopping and e-commerce businesses. Among the companies driving the demand for warehouse space in Chicago, for instance is Amazon.
FULL STORY: Warehouses are sexy all of a sudden. Here's why.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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