Quantum computing facility to be built at US Steel South Works site in Chicago
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A lakefront site on the Far South Side has been chosen as the future home of a new quantum computing campus.
It'll be at the long-vacant site of the former U.S. Steel South Works plant, off 87th Street and South DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
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Company officials chose the shuttered site on the Far South Side, over a former Texaco refinery in southwest suburban Lockport.
"PsiQuantum's investment in the City of Chicago is a groundbreaking leap into the future, making our city the proud home of America's first utility-scale quantum computer," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. "This monumental project will revolutionize the fields of medicine and clean energy, creating countless jobs and driving economic growth. Together, we are ushering in a new era of innovation, equity and sustainability for the South Side, solidifying Chicago's place as a global hub for technological advancement."
A rendering of what the Silicon Valley tech start-up PsiQuantum facility will look like was released.
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Officials say the multi-billion-dollar facility will be about 300-thousand-square-feet, and employ up to 150 people within five years.
PsiQuantum said it plans to anchor the newly established Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), working within the state's quantum ecosystem, which includes the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the University of Chicago, the Chicago Quantum Exchange, Argonne and Fermi national labs and DARPA, the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency and others.
The Illinois state budget for the fiscal year 2025 includes $500 million committed to the development of the Quantum Park, PsiQuantum said.
The city of Chicago has put up $5 million from its housing and economic development bond.
Gov. JB Pritzker and Johnson spoke on the development Thursday afternoon.
"Considering the endless potential quantum computing technology holds, it is crucial that we commit to quantum partnerships, research, and infrastructure across our nation. In Illinois, we're leading the charge with this first-of-its-kind quantum park to unite stakeholders, experts, and future generations of quantum leaders. I'm grateful that PsiQuantum will be our anchor tenant as we launch this exciting collaboration to create the jobs of the future, and PsiQuantum choosing Chicago cements our status as a global hub for quantum computing," Pritzker said in a statement.
Until now, the technology has been largely developmental.
Local officials say the quantum campus has an estimated cost of $9 billion, but could generate some $20 billion over the next 10 years.
"That is the future that we are ushering into today, and we should all be extremely proud," the U of I Urbana-Champaign chancellor said.
Supporters were vague about any potential environmental impact the campus may cause, and did not say if the current site is contaminated.
But local community activist A. Anne Holcomb has her concerns, and isn't sold on the promises being made to the neighborhood and its residents.
"We want community benefits; we want environmental protections. We want jobs. We want job training," Holcomb said.
