Benefits of Being Located in a Planned Manufacturing District

There are over a dozen Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMD) in the City of Chicago. PMDs are designated areas set aside for industrial use and were founded to protect the displacement of industry. Prior to the use of PMDs, it was common for developers to target industrial sites to convert them to more valuable residential or commercial use. Now, historically industrial areas, that also have easy access to transportation networks and labor pools, are protected from redevelopment using PMDs.

The Kinzie Industrial Corridor, where mHUB is located at 1623 W. Fulton, is one of Chicago’s 26 Planned Manufacturing Districts. It’s located just west of Ogden Avenue and Chicago’s West Loop. This is especially attractive to mHUB because it bridges industry to the west with the growing Fulton Market tech sector to the east. As a leader in hardtech innovation, mHUB sits at the intersection of physical product creation and digital technology. This building is that literal intersection.

Further, mHUB is committed to growing US manufacturing leadership. Manufacturing is the second largest industry in the City of Chicago, which boasts one of the most diversified economies nationwide. Still, the city has experienced a significant loss in manufacturers over the past few decades.

Manufacturing jobs are a great equalizer, providing middle-income wages, benefits, and job security at all education levels. Every dollar in final sales of manufactured products supports $2.74 in output from other sectors and has a job multiplier between 3X and 9X depending on the subsector. Simply put, manufacturing is good for jobs, the economy, and communities.

Through its innovation center, mHUB will support hundreds of product-based businesses that are now able to take advantage of the accessibility and affordability of a PMD and grow within the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, bringing new businesses that will create wealth and jobs for the community.

Read the full article: "From Expanded Labs to Opportunity Zones: Decoding the Relocation of mHUB" and book a tour to visit the mHUB Innovation Center.