Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Peoples Gas president and CEO Charles Matthews, and Alderman Margaret Laurino (39th) to break ground on the company’s new North Shop service facility at 4025 W. Peterson Ave. The 84,433-square-foot, two-story building is set in the Peterson-Pulaski Industrial Corridor and will bring more than 430 workers to the Sauganash neighborhood. The construction work also will create 250 temporary jobs.
“This significant new investment will transform a vacant lot into an economic engine and bring hundreds of good-paying jobs with it,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Building a new North Shop will help build a new Chicago, creating the 21st century infrastructure that is the foundation of a 21st century economy.”
Peoples Gas has hired McKissack & McKissack and FH Paschen, which partnered with Epstein, to design and build the new facility. The firms have committed a projected total spend of more than 50 percent with minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. They also have committed to hiring Chicago residents for at least 50 percent of the jobs during construction.
“The new North Shop will better serve the needs of our customers and employees while bringing $60 million of new private investment to a predominantly vacant and underutilized site,” Matthews said.
The facility will reduce maintenance costs, improve the efficiency of customer responses, provide safer traffic flow for employees and include large meeting rooms available for public use. In addition, the building will be constructed to meet City of Chicago sustainability requirements.
“The new North Shop service facility will be a vibrant new addition to the ward,” Alderman Laurino said. “Sauganash is proud to be its new home, and we look forward to our continued partnership as the construction and move-in take shape.”
“We’re honored to serve the residents of Chicago through our partnership with Peoples Gas,” Roland Schneider, project executive, McKissack Paschen JV said. “We take great pride in increasing the quality of life through the investment of infrastructure and workforce development.”
Peoples Gas anticipates completing construction by fourth quarter 2019.