News Updates

Working with you to help shape our region’s economic competitiveness

As I reflect on the economic happenings taking place this fall, I am reminded that our region’s economy is resilient in the face of continued pressures.

That resilience is best captured in data from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) Northeastern Illinois Development Database. For 2025, we have more than 370 qualifying developments in the database. That’s more than in 2024 and 2023, with about a month remaining in the calendar year.

These trends are captured by the recent groundbreaking of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in the South Chicago neighborhood. It will bring together unrivaled regional advantages. It will feature national laboratories, major research universities, a world-class workforce, and a commitment from local, regional, and state leaders.

Another major success is the Illinois General Assembly’s $1.5 billion investment into the transit system, which is the economic engine for our region. That avoids various fiscal cliffs. CMAP’s leadership in developing the Plan of Action for Regional Transit was crucial. It not only sustains our transit but proposes a system worthy of Chicagoland’s status as a global super region.  

In early November, we also hosted our State of the Region event, welcoming more than 900 partners to jumpstart our region’s next long-range planning process. As we move into the new year, we will have opportunities to engage with us in roundtables, workshops, and convenings to gain your insights. And as we the develop The Century Plan, we will work towards a truly inclusive and equitable economy.

Reach out

I welcome the opportunity to connect, visit your site, or familiarize myself with a corridor or development. Feel free to email me anytime!

Kyle Schulz is the deputy of strategic advancement. He comes from a 15-plus-year career in economic development, most recently as chief growth officer at World Business Chicago. In coordination with CMAP, Kyle helped create the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership.