Oak Brook, Illinois - US House Speaker Dennis Hastert was the keynote speaker today at the
dedication of the DuPage National Technology Park in West Chicago, Illinois.
Joined by state and local officials, Speaker Hastert addressed the over 200 guests and noted that the 800-acre
master-planned, mixed-use business park will stimulate investment, advance research and bring quality, high paying jobs to the region.
"This day is only possible because of the tireless efforts of individuals and organizations throughout government and the private sector, "Speaker Hastert said at the ceremony. "As a result of this collaborative effort, our region will continue to grow into a world-class center for technology and research, fueling our local economy and creating good jobs for our residents."
"The park's fully improved roadways, utilities and landscaping were funded by a $34 million grant through the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
"Governor Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have made a significant contribution in making this a state-of-the-art business park and a first class home to the international technology community," stated Michael Mullen, Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Properties. "The park's communication and technology infrastructure has been engineered from the ground up to provide the most advanced connectivity for a wide variety of users, and offers an extraordinary environment for innovation and growth."
"Our state's tremendous medical, agricultural, industrial and environmental assets make us an ideal national hub for greater technology exploration and advancement. We're committed to providing the aggressive leadership and support that builds on those great assets to create an environment where tech innovation can thrive like never before. The DuPage Technology Park is expected to generate some 2,000 jobs and nearly $500 million in wages during its first phase, and is an excellent model of how we can use innovative public-private partnerships to unleash the enormous potential of this industry and help ensure a stronger and better future for Illinois," Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich said.
"We're excited and proud to be part of this successful public/private partnership with DuPage County, the DuPage Airport Authority and the State of Illinois," continued Mullen. "This Park is a classic in intergovernmental cooperation and bipartisan cooperation. It took vision and leadership from both sides of the aisle to get to where we are today. I am proud to say today that the DuPage National Technology Park is open for business."
Dan Goodwin who Chairs the DuPage Airport Authority, told the guests that the vision for the Park sought to leverage the innovative strength of the two national laboratories in DuPage County - Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Laboratory, in order to create a premier location where public and private research and development facilities, high technology and science based companies, and multi-institutional education and training facilities could reside. Goodwin thanked DuPage National Technology Park Board Chair Gerald Gorski and Executive Director Jack Tenison for helping to develop an innovative business model to sustain the Park in the future without continued reliance on federal or state funding.
CenterPoint was chosen as the Master Developer in December, 2004 and with recent approvals is ready to construct technology and industrial build-to-suits.
Key tenants expected at the Park include: Argonne National Laboratory’s Center for Advanced Technology, NASA Illinois Commercialization Center, University of Illinois’ Technology Research Education and Commercialization Center and the Illinois Technology Development Alliance.
DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom spoke about the unique opportunities for advanced research and praised collaborative efforts between government, the education community and the private sector. Schillerstrom noted that tenants planned for the Park will develop new technologies that will focus on national security, energy technology, environmental implications and complex transportation and communications technologies. The Park will bring together entities that have vast expertise in science, engineering, academia and the social sciences. Great emphasis will be on technology transfer and commercialization, Schillerstrom said.
"This will be a dynamic location for research, applied technology and business. The high quality employment opportunities coupled with the world–class research greatly enhances the quality of life for our region. For generations, the Chicago region has been the crossroads of the Nation. Now thanks to Speaker Hastert’s vision, Governor Blagojevich’s commitment and the expertise of CenterPoint Properties, the DuPage National Technology Park will be the crossroads for advanced and applied technology for the world,” Schillerstrom concluded.
CenterPoint is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) and the largest industrial property company in the 1.4-billion-square-foot Chicago regional market. As of June 30, 2005, the Company owned and operated approximately 38 million square feet and the Company and its affiliates owned or controlled an additional 3,342 acres of land upon which approximately 50 million square feet could be developed. The Company is focused on providing unsurpassed tenant satisfaction and adding value to its shareholders through customer driven management, investment, development and redevelopment of warehouse, distribution, light manufacturing buildings and logistics infrastructure. The first major REIT to focus on the industrial property sector, CenterPoint had a total market capitalization of approximately $3.0 billion as of June 30, 2005.
> Print this page
> Other Press Releases |
