FAQ

The Invert Chicago believes that community benefits are central to any successful development project. We have encouraged community members to provide ideas on how to best incorporate community benefits into our plan, and we are committed to providing them in within the first three years of the project. Examples of the ideas we have heard thus far and have now incorporated in our plan include: additional community gathering spaces, recreational space, local partnerships, community reinvestment, and more!

Yes! Our favorite example is the Subtropolis development in Kansas City which houses more than 50 businesses with over 90% occupancy rate. In fact, the Kansas City market has about 30 million SF of total subsurface space with 10 million more under development. Subsurface facilities can be found throughout the world and our construction methodology will be very similar to Chicagoland facilities such as CTA stations, the Pedway, and underground parking garages. You can learn more about Subtropolis by watching episode 4 (season 1) of the documentary series “Off the Cuff” available on Amazon Prime.

other subsurface projects:

SubtropolisNYC Grand Central Underground Expansion World’s First Undersea RoundaboutThe LowlineMega Space

The Invert Chicago, LLC is a privately held real estate development company. The lead investor is Ozinga Ventures, an independent investment group established by the Ozinga family to support innovation and entrepreneurship that makes a positive impact on individuals, their families, and the community for generations. However, The Invert Chicago is not affiliated with Ozinga’s traditional construction materials business.

No. Our interest is in the uniqueness, size and location of the subsurface commercial real estate complex we are creating, not the material. The value of the material being removed to create the space is not worth the expense of subsurface construction. However, subsurface construction techniques do allow us to work around the environmental challenges that otherwise prevent the property from being developed. Subsurface construction is a proven technique used in Subtropolis in Kansas City and throughout Chicago in the form of the Pedway, CTA subways, underground parking garages and more.

CMAP’s Go To 2040 plan estimates an increase in traffic in the area. The type of tenants The Invert will target and attract and has already received interest from typically require far fewer trucks than those currently anticipated by planners. Our current estimates point to an additional 3,470 daily vehicle trips*, which is approximately 30% less than CMAP projected for the subject property that would be occupied by The Invert. Furthermore, our current estimates project that nearly 80% of the expected traffic increase will be from passenger vehicles.

The Invert also would move trucks away from residences on Avenue O by extending Burley Ave. The Invert will encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by supporting electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It is also our plan to minimize vehicle emissions through the strategic placement of hundreds of trees, stringent vehicle idling policies, and the use of other innovative technologies.

* A “vehicle trip” is defined as a trip by a single vehicle (passenger or truck) in one direction, regardless of the number of people in the vehicle.

The property currently generates just eight jobs. We expect over 3,300 permanent new jobs in the region will be created once the facility is fully leased and an average of over 650 long-term construction jobs during the build phase of the project. This dramatic increase in local jobs will create many more opportunities available to local residents. To ensure strong local and minority participation, The Invert plans to partner with local schools and workforce development agencies.

Our current schedule expects community benefits such as new park space to be built within the first 3 years. The first block of rentable subsurface space will be available in years 4-6 from the start of construction. Additional blocks of leasable space will open in phases beginning in year 5. Final completion of the underground space will occur between years 10 and 15, subject to market conditions. This timeline is typical of large projects. For reference, the highly successful Pullman developments have seen 10+ year timelines for 1.75 million square feet of development compared to our expected timeline for 6 million square feet of space.

The Invert is designed to not disturb any environmental hotspots on the surface by developing underneath it. The Phase I and II environmental survey assessments revealed areas with significant contamination buried up to 30 feet below the surface, which is currently not a harm to the local community since it is buried in gravel, slag and other crushed material. Our proposed development will not disturb contaminated areas monitored by the EPA. For example, the vertical shafts are located away from these hotspots, and our dual tunnel system is located on the east side of the property where there are no environmental threats.

Several techniques will be utilized. Surface activity includes traditional earthwork to create entrance to tunnels and new landscaped berms. Drilling will be utilized to complete tunnels and vertical shafts to the subsurface levels. At 300 feet below the surface, electronically-controlled demolition will be utilized. This is a carefully controlled procedure that will not be seen or heard from the surface. Because subsurface construction will occur deep underground, and because bedrock, soil, and clay will act as a natural damper, vibration at the surface will be imperceptible.

We strongly value community engagement and participation in the project. You can learn more online at www.TheInvertChicago.com. The Invert also operates a Community Engagement Center at 10548 S. Ewing Avenue where we invite local residents, businesses, nonprofits and community groups to come learn about the project and provide feedback. We also host virtual meetings so that all can safely attend. To request a meeting, you can email us at info@TheInvertChicago.com

Our plan is not to disturb the contaminated portions of the property by developing around and beneath them to create uniquely marketable subsurface space. This avoids additional health risks as well as the need for special excavation, transportation, and landfill costs. However, we are interested in pursuing emerging technologies or partnerships that will allow for more cost-efficient remediation. We are currently planning for a better alternative use of the contaminated portion of the surface which includes covering the area with fresh new soil, creating new native plant habitats, and safely constructing a 15+ acre solar field over the area.

We will be fully compliant with EPA and municipal guidelines.

No. Our construction times would occur only between the hours of 8 am – 8 pm, and while we would be permitted to operate seven (7) days per week, we will likely only operate Monday-Friday.

We will utilize multiple techniques to limit impacts to surrounding structures. These are carefully controlled, subsurface procedures that would likely occur no more than once per day and that will not be seen, heard or felt from the surface during the course of construction.

No, we will only build under our property with a significant safety buffer from neighboring property lines.

There will be marginal increases in construction traffic during the course of the build out. Surface route traffic will be largely contained due to dedicated service routes designed to minimize local impact.

Upon completion, the majority (~80%) of the surface traffic will be the result of employee traffic (passenger vehicles).

We believe that development can bring economic opportunity while supporting a healthy, sustainable environment. We’ve made it a goal of ours to help improve air quality in the surrounding community through the addition of over 700 trees, substantial ecological restoration, new native landscaping, incorporating outdoor air filtration technology, electrification of construction equipment, and by encouraging electric vehicle adoption through a proposed EV charging station.

Of course not! Our current timeline expects that community benefits, such as the new park space and community solar, will be built during the first phase of construction – likely within the first 2-3 years.

Actually, building above ground would not be much cheaper or faster.  Subsurface construction is a much more effective use for the site given the past heavy industrial use that resulted in significant remediation challenges that would be far too expensive to rehabilitate.

By siting The Invert below ground, we are able to construct a creative, sustainable, modern economic engine in the community. Locating the facility below ground also offers reduced energy costs to the facility and re-purposes a large portion of the surface to be a community solar field. Furthermore, the subsurface facility allows us to add new plant & wildlife areas to the surface while preserving a permeable surface to capture captures rainfall and reduce the impact on local water and sewer infrastructure.

The innovative subsurface design of The Invert has understandably generated several questions during our community engagement meetings. In fact, when we visited two of the subsurface complexes in Kansas City, we asked many of the same questions being raised by neighbors here on the southeast side.

As a result, we’ve commissioned a variety of expert engineering firms to provide a thorough understanding of any potential impacts of the project, both during construction and operation. The studies are expected to be completed and made public later this summer.

Yes, we have not yet filed an application with the city of Chicago, so the start date is a projection. We do, however, anticipate beginning preliminary construction in 2023 after the permit process begins.

Our initial funding is indeed from Ozinga Ventures. Projects like this typically are funded in multiple rounds by various investors. Beyond our initial funding, we have received strong interest in our proposal, and anticipate adding investors as we progress through the entitlement process. The Invert’s sustainability, low carbon footprint, alternative energy and social equity aspects are also attractive to a growing category of investors.

The energy savings and innovative nature of The Invert’s subsurface space will certainly attract many types of tenants to the Chicago market. It has proven to be a highly successful business model in Kansas City. Naturally, tenants who have already experienced the benefits of operating subsurface will likely be among the first to consider this type of space in Chicago.

We receive many questions from people who misunderstand The Invert’s goal. To be clear, our interest in building subsurface is to create a unique, environmentally sustainable, and highly energy efficient space for tenants whose business would most benefit. These include vertical farming, cloud computing, cold and food storage, green manufacturing, and more who will create thousands of modern-economy, well-paying jobs and generate a strong local economy. If we were simply interested in obtaining the below-grade materials, there are many significantly less costly, less complicated and less time-consuming ways to go about that process. Also, there are misconceptions about the impact that The Invert’s construction will have on the surrounding community. We have designed the construction process to ensure that nothing is heard or felt on the surface.

We will not seek Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds for the private operations of the site; however, we will ultimately seek TIF funding to extend Burley Avenue. The extension of Burley Avenue will benefit the community by redirecting much of the current truck traffic from local streets to Burley Avenue. We don’t yet have an estimated cost for that portion of the project.

During our community engagement meetings, hundreds of residents have told us they desire new economy, clean, well-paying jobs close to home. We’re committed to providing those opportunities and to doing so in the most sustainable, environmentally responsible manner possible. With public health in mind, we’ve hired national and global experts to ensure we meet that standard.

When economic opportunity is increased, health outcomes, healthier families and healthier communities will follow. We are absolutely committed to community benefits and look forward to continuing our discussions with the community to determine those ideas most desired by the neighborhood.

Actually, building above ground would not be much cheaper or faster and would in fact be cost-prohibitive once you account for traditional remediation costs. This is why so many properties remain abandoned and undeveloped on the southeast side. The value of our proposal is that it is a creative and economically viable solution to brownfield redevelopment that would create a one-of-a-kind subsurface space.

For the environment, building subsurface eliminates the need for many tons of construction materials and the trucks needed to deliver them to an above surface construction site. Being subsurface avoids the need for a 6 million square foot roof and the subsequent urban runoff after a rainstorm. The Invert would be Chicago’s largest green roof. Building subsurface also offers constant temperatures and humidity and save tenants up to 75% in utility costs for heating and cooling compared to surface facilities.

Furthermore, surface development of this site would require cost-prohibitive demolition and surface remediation.  Traditional remediation would also put 100s of additional trucks on the road. In addition, the majority of the surface cannot be accessed safely and efficiently due to an active freight railroad line. Subsurface also adds a level of security not found above ground. And surface development would produce only one-tenth the number of jobs and economic impact of our subsurface plan.

The Southeast Side is uniquely situated for a modern, industrial real estate development like The Invert– both from a multi-modal transportation perspective, as well as available workforce. Why let those associated jobs continue to go to Indiana? We think they should stay right here in the 10th Ward.

A qualified contractor will remove the below-grade materials. The Invert will not be involved in the marketing or sale of these materials.

We have not applied for a permit to the City of Chicago. We’ve chosen to first gather community input and have been doing so since January 2021. We’ve met with hundreds of residents, hosted dozens of conversations, held our first community-wide webinar and continue to meet with individuals and organizations on a weekly basis.

If you are interested in scheduling a meeting, please contact us directly via email at LilianaRivera@TheInvertChicago.com or visit us at our first-of-its-kind Community Engagement Center at 10548 S. Ewing Avenue and our development team would be pleased to assist you further.

The Chicago Department of Transportation, with the help of the State of Illinois, has already approved and funded a plan to improve Burley Avenue from 126th Place to 106th Street. This work will be done regardless of our participation and has already been funded. The improvement of Burley Avenue would benefit the community by rerouting commercial truck traffic from residential streets such as Avenue O.

The project is designed to mitigate any need to disturb the above-ground surface, with only below-grade materials being removed from the site.

We will begin by enhancing the amount of grass, plants and trees as guided by the Calumet Landscaping Design Guide. First, 10-foot-high by 60-foot-wide landscaped berms will be built on the east side of the site. The surrounding community will see a significantly greener and more tree-laden site upon completion of the construction.

We’re hoping to generate a reasonable return on the significant investment that will be required to build The Invert. However, Chicago is our home, and we agree with many of the residents’ desire for economic opportunity here on the southeast side of Chicago. We think there is plenty of opportunity here for residents of the 10th Ward and for The Invert.

Yes, limestone deposits are indeed common in the Midwest. In fact, there are currently 13 suburban Chicago locations actively supplying material. This is exactly why The Invert is not interested in the value of the materials being removed to create the subsurface space. Simply put, the supply and demand don’t make sense.

We agree, in addition to providing good paying jobs, industry should have a significantly positive impact on the community. That’s why we’re asking people from the neighborhood for input on the ways that The Invert can do just that. The responses include many of the amenities you describe. We intend to include many of these ideas into our final proposal.