With the Windy City already dealing with the massive impacts of one of the largest urban populations in the United States, plans are underway to build a new convention center and hotel complex.
The proposed project by the Intercontinental Regional Center Trust of Chicago (IRCTC) and local developer Anshoo Sethi would be constructed near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and include multiple hotels along with a new convention center designed to have virtually no carbon emissions and a 100 percent allergen-free environment.
The proposed project by the Intercontinental Regional Center Trust of Chicago (IRCTC) and local developer Anshoo Sethi would be constructed near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and include multiple hotels along with a new convention center designed to have virtually no carbon emissions and a 100 percent allergen-free environment.
The development would create some 4,000 construction jobs during its two-year construction phase and another 1,000 permanent jobs after opening while enhancing Chicago’s reputation as a “green” city.
“This development not only positions Chicago as a leader in the sustainability movement, it encourages the hospitality industry worldwide to set the bar higher when it comes to green design,” said Sethi. “We are grateful to be part of a community that sees the importance in eco-friendly development, and our hope is that a Chicago convention center will give visitors to the city a new and enriching experience that will have them returning again and again.”
The project could generate some $2.6 billion in economic activity over the next 12 years, including more than $1 billion in wages to local workers, according to the IRCTC. Partial financing is expected from the federal government’s U.S. Immigrant Investor Program created in 1990 to spur foreign investment in domestic projects that create new jobs and stimulate local economies.
Innovations planned for the convention center and surrounding hotels include an onsite hydrogen phosphoric fuel cell plant, the use of solar technology, geothermal heating and cooling systems, rainwater collection and recycling, and a green roof and hybrid shuttle vans for visitors. Business guests could be eligible for carbon credits when staying at the eco-friendly complex.
“A Chicago convention center will play a huge part in bringing back jobs and revenue that was lost during the recession. We are excited to be part of the rebuilding of this area,” said Sethi.
