Location: Olive-Harvey College, 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago IL 60628 
Cost: $44.8 million 
o $31.6 million from the State of Illinois 
o $13.2 million from City Colleges of Chicago 

Purpose: To prepare students for both further college and careers, and serve as the transportation, distribution and logistics (TDL) hub of City Colleges' College to Careers initiative. The facility will deliver house TDL programs including: logistics, automotive and diesel technology, commercial vehicle driving and public passenger vehicle training (taxi and limousine). 
Size: 103,000 square feet

Features include: 
o High-tech central store warehouse environment that will act as City Colleges’ supply chain hub. 
o Diesel and automotive engine and vehicle laboratories 
o Simulated driving facilities and engine testing cell (with dynamometer) 
o Cassrooms 
o Student testing center 
Design process: City Colleges faculty, staff and students, as well as College-to-Careers TDL industry partners, helped design the building. 
Sustainability: project is pursuing LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. 
Project lead: Illinois Capital Development Board

 

Timeline 

 

March 2012: Governor Patrick Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chancellor Cheryl Hyman announce the TDL Center project, part of CCC’s College to Careers initiative 
May-June 2013: Buildings on construction site are demolished, overhead utility lines removed 
October 2013: Further preparation completed: concrete slabs supporting demolished structures removal. 
October 28th, 2013: Mayor Emanuel, Chancellor Hyman and aldermen officially break ground on project. 
January 2014: On-site construction work begins. 
Fall 2015: TDL Center opens (anticipated)

 

Jobs Created and Community Engagement

Total jobs created: 150 
Community jobs: 20 prioritized for community residents, or 14 percent of the total jobs created. The community area is defined as wards 8 and 10. Call 312-782-8970 for info about construction jobs. 
Types of jobs: The types of positions expected to be available include: plumbers, electricians, carpenters, pipe fitters, brick masons, painters, ironworkers, operators, roofers, laborers, and sheet metal workers. 
Free training available: Seats have been reserved for qualified residents without prior training in a special construction training program offered at City Colleges’ Dawson Technical Institute. Ten scholarships were awarded. A high-school diploma or equivalent is required to take part in this program.

Main Contractors

Architect of record: FGM Architects 
Background: Oak Brook, IL-based FGM Architects has a strong track record in higher education. The firm has completed building projects on the campuses of Northwestern University, Wheaton College, Triton College and Western Illinois University, among other institutions. 
Construction manager: Gilbane Building Company 
Gilbane is one of the largest family-owned construction firms in the industry. Higher education clients include: Addison (IL) School District 4 and Elmhurst (IL) Memorial Healthcare. 
Demolition: Brandenburg 
Chicago-based Brandenburg is one of the nation’s leading demolition and environmental 
remediation firms.