Chicago & Midwest + South Side + Industrial | February 1, 2023

The Chicago City Council has approved the long-planned expansion of Norfolk Southern's intermodal rail yard on Chicago's South Side

Chicago City Council Approves Long-Planned Norfolk Southern Rail Yard Expansion

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a railroad expansion that has been years in the making despite local opposition — including from the alderman representing that area — over the acquisition of hundreds of homes in one of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods.

Supporters of Norfolk Southern Railway’s $150-million plans to double the size of its intermodal freight yard in Englewood on Chicago’s South Side say it will be a boost to the neighborhood and the city, create jobs and reduce truck pollution, the Chicago Tribune reported.

However, the expansion also raised concerns over the impact of the project on the area and whether remaining nearby residents will gain anything from it, leading to 20th Ward Ald. Jeanette Taylor withholding her support until the last minute.

After the vote, the rail company issued a statement calling the project “a facility that will expand Chicago’s role as the heart of our nation’s supply chain.”

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 13-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 15-20 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

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