Hiffman Shaffer Associate
O'Hare Cargo Center

The O'Hare Cargo Center Redevelopment Project is located on the eastern edge of Bensenville, Illinois, just west of O'Hare International Airport's Cargo City entrance. The O'Hare Cargo Center involved the development of up to 750,000 square feet of modern air cargo/distribution space on an underutilized site. The planned air cargo/distribution complex was designed to accommodate multiple users seeking immediate access to O'Hare's Cargo City and the expressway system. Development included up to six state-of-the-art, precast constructed, sprinklered buildings featuring 30 foot clear heights, numerous exterior dock doors and heavy trailer parking. Rail was also available via the Soo line.

The redevelopment project area was approximately 61 acres in size; at the time of designation of the TIF district, it included six tax parcels located in two counties under a common ownership and contained approximately 20 buildings which had been part of a wire mill that had closed and sat vacant for several years. Given the history of industrial use of the site, it was not surprising that environmental contamination was a major impediment to the redevelopment of this otherwise prime development site. The site was served by well water rather than by the municipal water system and contained a number of other deleterious conditions that qualified the site as a blighted area under the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act.

Our involvement in this assignment included preparation of the eligibility report and redevelopment plan, as well as a projection of the equalized assessed value expected to result from implementation of this project. We also presented the eligibility study and redevelopment plan to the Joint Review Committee and at the public hearing for the project. We remained available to address other TIF related issues through the adoption of the TIF ordinances on an as needed basis.