Chicago commission approves creation of a quantum computer research park | Technology

CHICAGO — The South Side took another step toward becoming a national computing hub Thursday when the Chicago Plan Commission approved the creation of a quantum computer research park at the long-vacant U.S. Steel South Works site.

The vote followed hours of impassioned testimony from community residents. Many expressed hope that the project would bring billions in investment and new businesses to a region plagued by decades of isolation and disinvestment. Others criticized the development, first announced by Gov. JB Pritzker this past summer, as moving too quickly. They argued for more time to allow environmental activists and community advocates to secure a written agreement with the developers addressing wildlife protection, job creation and affordable housing.

“Nobody in the community was told that this was coming until we heard about it from the governor,” said Vanessa Schwartz, executive director of Metropolitan Family Services Southeast Chicago Center, which focuses on workforce development in the neighborhood. “We’re always looking for good investment into this community, but there are just a lot of unknowns. We’d like to work with (the quantum park) to ensure our youth have opportunities to pursue career paths.”

Developers Related Midwest and CRG plan to build the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park 10 miles south of downtown on part of South Works, along the lakefront between 79th Street and the Calumet River. Pritzker has promoted the park as crucial to Illinois’ economic future, committing $500 million to quantum computing research and the new campus. In July, California-based tech company PsiQuantum was announced as the anchor tenant.

“I want this to look like what U.S. Steel was: a massive engine for employment,” said Related Midwest President Curt Bailey.

The proposal still requires approval from the full City Council. Developers aim to secure that approval in December and break ground on PsiQuantum’s first building by the first quarter of 2025, with a second building planned for the spring.

Bailey estimated the development team would have $600 million worth of construction underway within six to eight months.

“It is not easy to attract capital to this city,” he added. “This project will be able to attract capital.”

However, some are concerned about the project’s rapid timeline. Advocates such as Friends of the Parks noted that commission members rezoned all 440 acres at 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive for development, though the quantum park would occupy only 128 acres. They worry the remaining open space, home to diverse wildlife including migratory birds, could be lost without adequate public discussion or community input.

Quantum computing seeks to harness subatomic quantum mechanics to solve problems faster than traditional computers. Experts say it could lead to breakthroughs in medicine, energy, agriculture and other fields. A University of Illinois-led organization manages the quantum campus, working with partners such as Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, area universities and the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

If successful, the quantum park could end decades of failed redevelopment efforts at the South Works site. Once one of the world’s largest steel plants employing 20,000 people at its peak, the site was shuttered in 1992, leaving only 700 workers. The plant was largely demolished, and numerous redevelopment plans – ranging from housing to a marina – failed to materialize.

PsiQuantum has pledged to create 150 jobs initially. However, Pritzker said the completed quantum hub could generate tens of billions of dollars in new investment and thousands of jobs, many not requiring advanced degrees.

“We intend to drive innovation on a history-altering scale and provide unprecedented economic opportunity for the people of this great city and state,” the governor said at a July news conference.

Some advocates won support from commission members. Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) abstained from voting, calling for more community meetings and a negotiated community benefits agreement.

“I’m not a ‘no’ vote on this; there’s a lot to be excited about,” La Spata said. “I’m the sort who believes in what’s in writing.”

Sigcho-Lopez acknowledged that the developers have held three community meetings and plan another in December but said it was insufficient for a development of this scale.

“I don’t see the issue with taking more time,” he said. “My experience is, if it’s not in writing, things tend not to happen.”

Anne Holcomb, who lives two blocks from the site, told commission members she is concerned that decades of pollution could make the area unsafe for such a large construction project.

“We need to see this fleshed out before we move forward,” she said.

Other residents urged the Plan Commission to approve the plan. Jorge Perez, owner of Chico’s Oven, a donut shop on 83rd Street, said he has watched the neighborhood lose half its population since buying his building in 1996, as businesses fled following South Works’ closure.

“That’s what caused displacement,” he said. “I encourage you to vote yes and build it fast.”

The developers plan to construct four buildings along the Calumet River for PsiQuantum, with the first completed by early 2026. They also seek further City Council approvals for plans to develop the rest of the research park, including an industrial cryogenic plant. They pledged to add walking trails, preserve native landscapes for wildlife, maintain lakefront parks, construct single-family housing near the site and ensure the soil is uncontaminated.

Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright said community discussions with the developers would continue and emphasized the need to move forward.

“There are opportunities to iron out other details,” she said. “This is how we want to see development move.”