Chicago Construction News staff writer
Construction has begun on Western Works, a $100 million industrial campus that will transform a long-vacant 28-acre site on Chicago’s South Side into a major logistics and manufacturing hub serving the Brighton Park and Back of the Yards communities.
“This groundbreaking is a testament to what is possible when we prioritize investment which revitalizes of our communities,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By transforming this shuttered site into a thriving, sustainable industrial campus we are advancing long-term economic opportunity on Chicago’s Southwest Side while delivering hundreds of new jobs and renewed economic vitality for our residents.”
The four-building development is being built at 47th Street and Western Boulevard on the site of the former Wheatland Tubing warehouse facility, which closed in 2024. The redevelopment will replace the unused industrial property with 568,782 square feet of modern space designed for warehousing, distribution and manufacturing uses.
City Council approved the redevelopment plan in October 2025 through Ordinance O2025-0019967. The project is supported by a Cook County Class 6(b) property tax incentive, which reduces the assessment rate on eligible industrial properties for 12 years to encourage redevelopment of underutilized sites. The incentive is projected to reduce development costs by approximately $7.2 million.
Once complete, Western Works is expected to generate more than $30 million in property tax revenue over the next decade, with a portion directed toward community reinvestment initiatives.
The campus will include four buildings ranging from 75,000 to 198,000 square feet, along with 87 loading dock doors and 635 parking stalls to support logistics operations.
Construction activity is expected to generate about 150 jobs, with approximately 100 permanent full-time positions anticipated once the campus is operational.
Work on the project is scheduled to be completed by late 2027.
