CHICAGO | Economic & Business Development

[marothisu]

^ LOL I'm laughing because it seems like every month, eeconomists have been forecasting decline for Chicago and every time it's "unexpectedly" risen instead of declined

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by marothisu

^ LOL I'm laughing because it seems like every month, eeconomists have been forecasting decline for Chicago and every time it's "unexpectedly" risen instead of declined

We're not on a coast and it gets cold here, so obviously we're destined to fail. To believe otherwise is seriously naïve.

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I mean, come on. Either glorify Chicago or put it down, but let’s please not mention it in the same sentence as those lame ass places

Make sure not to look at the list of Amazon HQ2 finalists.

[Randomguy34]

Looks like the conversion of the former Schulze Baking plant into a data center is about to start soon, and is being rebranded as Midway Technology Center

Long-awaited South Side data center project gets money to move ahead

One of the critical remaining pieces of a long-awaited technology project on the South Side — money — appears to be in place. All it needs now are customers.

CIM Group, a major real estate investor that's best known for commercial redevelopment projects downtown such Block 37 and Tribune Tower, has acquired the former Schulze Baking plant in Washington Park at 55th Street and Wabash Avenue, an architecturally significant structure that preservationists have long hoped to spare from the wrecking ball.

Plans to turn the 220,000-square-foot site into a data center have been underway for 13 years. Two years ago, local developer Ghian Foreman partnered with 1547 Critical Systems Realty, a data-center company based in Matawan, N.J. CIM, a Los Angeles-based real estate developer, has partnered with 1547 on three other data center projects. "1547 has a strong pedigree," said Mike Underdown, chief operating officer of Comdesco Group, a telecom-engineering firm in Mokena."The neighborhood and location make a ton of sense."

Foreman sold the property to CIM for $7.5 million, according to county property records. But he'll remain general manager of the project. Construction is expected to begin in the next 60 days or so, and it could be ready for its first tenants in a year or so. The century-old building, which is now called Midway Technology Center, will require a major rehab that could total $150 million to become a data center, including a new roof and bringing in additional power required for racks of electricity-thirsty servers. The partners have decided against pursuing tax breaks associated with historic landmarks, but they plan to restore the building's distinctive facade. The facility is in an state-designated enterprise zone, which could provide some sales-tax incentives.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...e-baking-plant

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

We're not on a coast and it gets cold here, so obviously we're destined to fail. To believe otherwise is seriously naïve.

To be fair, anything over a 50 is growth, so they did expect growth. However, they expected the growth to fail. I'm curious as to what they're missing or overlooking. Hopefully not the sign of some minor regional bubble somewhere.

Originally Posted by moorhosj

Make sure not to look at the list of Amazon HQ2 finalists.

In relation to MNI? I thought that was mostly a Chicago thing or am I wrong..?

[the urban politician]

No, he's responding to me, and the fake outrage over my desire for Chicago to not compare itself to mediocre "heartland" cities. Yes, we should watch out for the cheap and uninteresting places that steal jobs (Charlotte, Atlanta, sand-mounds-turned-Mcmansion-farms in Texas, etc) but Chicago is better off comparing itself against New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Frankfurt, Toronto, etc etc. Eye should always be towards greatness, I believe

[SIGSEGV]

Happy to hear about Schulze. Washington Park is in need of investment, but given its transit access and proximity to UChicago, I can imagine it taking off.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Happy to hear about Schulze. Washington Park is in need of investment, but given its transit access and proximity to UChicago, I can imagine it taking off.

I think you are confused what a data center is. It pretty much runs itself [ on massive amounts of electricity ] without a lot of jobs associated in maintaining them. It will provide temporary construction jobs in the build out but a typical data center has 25 to at most 50 people employed in them. It would be better to think of them as an automated wherehouse for computers that need electricity and cooling. There is nothing to really take off in them as far as jobs. It is important for their location to be close to rights of way and close to fiber networks, and trading markets, microseconds count in the business world, esp when they are working with market trades.

Even the jobs, positions hired are not well payed. Operators make less than the techs that work there. Operators what ever they do is hardly a living wage. But either way it is better a data center than an empty bakery that was in a position to be demolished. Chicago is still in need for more of these types of centers as previous articles stated that were posted this week in this thread.
Data centers are also very important for local tech companies and associated users to keep the tech industry meeting their cloud needs in a computing intensive environment.

Spurred by society’s ever-increasing dependence on the cloud, demand for data centers is insatiable...The Chicago area ranks third in the country for data center capacity, but an increasing number of states, including neighboring Iowa, are wooing the facilities with tax incentives.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/d...RCH_KO0,20.htm

Average Operator Base Pay
$36,887/yr

Jun 25, 2018 - 102 Data Center Operator Salaries provided anonymously by employees. ... How much does a Data Center Operator make? The national average salary for a Data Center Operator is $36,887 ...

While some other jobs make a bit more.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/d...RCH_KO0,22.htm


Average Data Center Technician Salaries

Average Base Pay
$59,279/yr

Updated Jul 27, 2018



https://www.techrepublic.com/article...o-small-towns/

the number of jobs at an average data center is usually capped at 30, according to a 2014 report from CBRE.Sep 19, 2016...

The data center industry is booming, due in part to massive growth of cloud computing and its associated vendors. But while these data centers may bring the tech ..., they fail to provide many jobs or greatly enhance the local economy, experts say.



Even the biggest ones out there have ~ 90 full and part time employees at the most.



https://www.quora.com/How-many-peopl...s-do-they-have

How many people does a typical Google data center employ? What sorts of skills do they have?

A data center must have all the functions of data center in place, such as facilities (mechanical, electrical, telecomunication, building), floor manager/supervisors, operation control/helpdesk and corporate functions (legal, general affair/physical security, janitorial etc). Some functions can overlap, making the exact number of employees different for each data center. Also if one person has double or even triple functions then the risk for that person increases.

…


A job description for the highest payed employee, the data technician. I'm not bothering looking up what a data operator does.


https://jobdescriptionandresumeexamp...ponsibilities/

Data Center Technician Job Description Example, Duties, and Responsibilities
What Does a Data Center Technician Do?

Data center technicians ensure systems and equipment are properly maintained, and that the center runs smoothly at all times.

Data center technicians provide a range of services which revolve around the maintenance of data center equipment and processes.
Their job description entails offering technical support at data centers by performing system/network installation, configuration, and troubleshooting in order to ensure optimum operations.

In performing their duties, data center technicians carry out preventative maintenance of data center equipment and devices.
They analyze servers and network systems to identify and initiate repair of firmware issues.
Their role also entails monitoring system processes to ensure smooth operations.
These technicians usually install and configure new equipment for data centers.
They evaluate heating and cooling systems to ensure they are operational and can meet equipment temperature conditions....

and not much else. All you need is a HS diploma.

To work as a technician in a data center requires having at least a high school diploma and some experience working with network hardware, software, and operating systems.

...

[SIGSEGV]

I fully understand what a data center is (look up what my handle means) and that it's not a huge employer (and furthermore will likely not employ many from the neighborhood). I think things like this can make a big psychological difference though. With, this, the UC Arts Block and the new artists residences at Garfield and Michigan, Garfield will be mostly intact between the Red and Green lines.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

Make sure not to look at the list of Amazon HQ2 finalists.

Good, sounds like we will have no problem landing HQ2 then...

Speaking of, I think I'm going to go post in the ATL thread and ask them if construction on HQ2 has started yet...

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Good, sounds like we will have no problem landing HQ2 then...

Speaking of, I think I'm going to go post in the ATL thread and ask them if construction on HQ2 has started yet...

Lol, cruel...Has Atl 3000 backtracked from "I'VE SEEN THE SIGNED LEASE!!!!!" yet? I'm legitimately concerned for his wellbeing if it doesn't end up in Atlanta. They've been under the impression that it's going to Atlanta for a while. Atl and Skyscraper were the first to throw punches in the Amazon thread and then cry foul when someone punched back. They both went off on bnk a few times...the insecurity is next level.

[ChiMIchael]

Originally Posted by bnk

I think you are confused what a data center is. It pretty much runs itself [ on massive amounts of electricity ] without a lot of jobs associated in maintaining them. It will provide temporary construction jobs in the build out but a typical data center has 25 to at most 50 people employed in them. It would be better to think of them as an automated wherehouse for computers that need electricity and cooling. There is nothing to really take off in them as far as jobs. It is important for their location to be close to rights of way and close to fiber networks, and trading markets, microseconds count in the business world, esp when they are working with market trades.

Even the jobs, positions hired are not well payed. Operators make less than the techs that work there. Operators what ever they do is hardly a living wage. But either way it is better a data center than an empty bakery that was in a position to be demolished. Chicago is still in need for more of these types of centers as previous articles stated that were posted this week in this thread.
Data centers are also very important for local tech companies and associated users to keep the tech industry meeting their cloud needs in a computing intensive environment.


https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/d...RCH_KO0,20.htm

Average Operator Base Pay
$36,887/yr

Jun 25, 2018 - 102 Data Center Operator Salaries provided anonymously by employees. ... How much does a Data Center Operator make? The national average salary for a Data Center Operator is $36,887 ...

While some other jobs make a bit more.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/d...RCH_KO0,22.htm


Average Data Center Technician Salaries

Average Base Pay
$59,279/yr

Updated Jul 27, 2018



https://www.techrepublic.com/article...o-small-towns/

the number of jobs at an average data center is usually capped at 30, according to a 2014 report from CBRE.Sep 19, 2016...

The data center industry is booming, due in part to massive growth of cloud computing and its associated vendors. But while these data centers may bring the tech ..., they fail to provide many jobs or greatly enhance the local economy, experts say.



Even the biggest ones out there have ~ 90 full and part time employees at the most.



https://www.quora.com/How-many-peopl...s-do-they-have

How many people does a typical Google data center employ? What sorts of skills do they have?

A data center must have all the functions of data center in place, such as facilities (mechanical, electrical, telecomunication, building), floor manager/supervisors, operation control/helpdesk and corporate functions (legal, general affair/physical security, janitorial etc). Some functions can overlap, making the exact number of employees different for each data center. Also if one person has double or even triple functions then the risk for that person increases.

…


A job description for the highest payed employee, the data technician. I'm not bothering looking up what a data operator does.


https://jobdescriptionandresumeexamp...ponsibilities/

Data Center Technician Job Description Example, Duties, and Responsibilities
What Does a Data Center Technician Do?

Data center technicians ensure systems and equipment are properly maintained, and that the center runs smoothly at all times.

Data center technicians provide a range of services which revolve around the maintenance of data center equipment and processes.
Their job description entails offering technical support at data centers by performing system/network installation, configuration, and troubleshooting in order to ensure optimum operations.

In performing their duties, data center technicians carry out preventative maintenance of data center equipment and devices.
They analyze servers and network systems to identify and initiate repair of firmware issues.
Their role also entails monitoring system processes to ensure smooth operations.
These technicians usually install and configure new equipment for data centers.
They evaluate heating and cooling systems to ensure they are operational and can meet equipment temperature conditions....

and not much else. All you need is a HS diploma.

To work as a technician in a data center requires having at least a high school diploma and some experience working with network hardware, software, and operating systems.

...

They're probably not that well payed, but you could live pretty comfortably in a stable, less trendy neighborhood on those salaries.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

I fully understand what a data center is (look up what my handle means) and that it's not a huge employer (and furthermore will likely not employ many from the neighborhood). I think things like this can make a big psychological difference though. With, this, the UC Arts Block and the new artists residences at Garfield and Michigan, Garfield will be mostly intact between the Red and Green lines.

Yeah I was going to say - data centers don't typically employ many people. But I agree as long as they renovate the thing and make it look better then it'll have positive impact for the area in some way. Just don't expect a noticeable uptick in activity around there once they're done with the construction work.



Now, some other news.
Betts Recruiting Opens Chicago Office

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300689409.html

Betts Recruiting (Betts Recruiting, Inc.), the leading recruitment firm specializing in revenue-generating talent for high growth companies, today announced the opening of its sixth U.S. location with its new Chicago office.

From this new office, Betts will be able to better service Midwest clients, across Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio and of course be connected with Betts' locations in California, New York and Texas. Betts is the first specialty recruitment firm of its kind to partner solely with full-time professionals in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success ranging from junior level to VP to help them find career growth with innovative startups in the Midwest.

Betts has been helping companies in Chicago hire top sales talent for a few years now and have received a lot of demand from both clients and candidates. With the recent uptick in startups growing a presence in the Midwest, Betts wanted to expand its offerings for companies based in Chicago or looking to expand into the Midwest and build out a presence so they can grow their revenue teams efficiently with top talent. Some of Betts' Chicago clients include G2 Crowd, Origami Risk, Dynamic Signal, Flexport and RIVS.

"At Betts, we take pride in not just finding the top sales talent, but also helping these companies maintain their company culture as they scale," said Betts Recruiting Founder and CEO, Carolyn Betts Fleming. "Chicago is home to many of the most innovative companies in the country and we will leverage our unparalleled network, industry expertise and decades of collective recruiting experience from day one."

Betts Recruiting's six offices in the US include San Francisco, Palo Alto, Austin, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. These headquarters also cover areas such as Denver, CO, Boulder, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, Provo, UT, Dallas, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, and Atlanta, GA.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Lol, cruel...Has Atl 3000 backtracked from "I'VE SEEN THE SIGNED LEASE!!!!!" yet? I'm legitimately concerned for his wellbeing if it doesn't end up in Atlanta. They've been under the impression that it's going to Atlanta for a while. Atl and Skyscraper were the first to throw punches in the Amazon thread and then cry foul when someone punched back. They both went off on bnk a few times...the insecurity is next level.

There's probably some clever joke about Amazon and an even longer river in Egypt.

[marothisu]

U.K. Software Startup Sets Up Chicago Office

https://www.americaninno.com/chicago...hicago-office/

Not huge news, but still good/interesting to see:

With a £3 million investment, a U.K.-based company has kicked off its expansion across the pond.

Based just outside of Glasgow in East Kilbride, SHE Software, a cloud-based business-to-business health and safety software company, quietly opened its Chicago office in April with the goal of tapping into the U.S. market.

SHE Software currently has nine U.S. employees, four of whom work in its downtown office. The company plans to add another two or three hires within the next two to three months, and is considering opening up other offices elsewhere in the U.S., said SHE Software CEO Matthew Elson, adding that it’s “up in the air” where the company will land next.

“We wanted somewhere that was reasonably close in terms of time zone to the U.K.,” Elson said. “Chicago is extremely well-connected. It’s a great hub, because we need quite a lot of traveling. It’s also a great metropolitan for talent.”

[bnk]

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300686483.html

Skender Announces New Advanced Manufacturing Facility for Modular Building, Creates 100 New Jobs on Chicago's Southwest Side

Chicago-based Skender announced the creation of 100 new jobs in the City of Chicago, made possible with the opening of the new Skender advanced manufacturing facility, … . The new advanced manufacturing operations will be located at 3348 S. Pulaski, on Chicago's southwest side; approximately 100 new jobs will be created related to the production of modular buildings for multifamily, healthcare and commercial buildings. Production is scheduled to start as early as November 2018 for Skender Manufacturing's first project, a six-story, 110-unit, 80,000-square-foot West Loop multifamily building.
…

New Chicago plant, 100 new advanced manufacturing jobs

To host the new operations, Skender recently signed a lease for 105,560 square feet at 3348 S. Pulaski, a multi-tenant industrial facility located on the southwest side of Chicago. Hiring is underway to fill 100 positions at the facility within 18 months, and manufacturing will launch as early as November 2018.

...

[Vlajos]

This is pretty cool.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifest...802-story.html

[the urban politician]

I haven’t posted these but Crains has posted multiple articles about the huge numbers of rehabs going on on some of the most challenged neighborhoods on the south side and south burbs.

We are seeeing a ton of properties being preserved for the next generation, even while yes, many are being lost.

Still, it’s nice to know that there is a highly active, stabilizing force in many areas, and people are actually making money doing this!

Kudos to them, and keep up the great work.

[SIGSEGV]

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/resid...-south-suburbs

Here's one of said articles... How come these guys don't have a show on HGTV? (Maybe they do... my knowledge of HGTV is solely from the dentist's office... but I do have a lot of cavities).

[the urban politician]

^ I don’t know, but it’s disappointing that they don’t.

HGTV is oriented around white suburbanites. Screw them