As construction on the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) picks up speed, Mayor Brandon Johnson has called it an “economic engine” for the South Side. However, many community members have expressed concerns over possible environmental and social risks.
Developers broke ground on phase one of the IQMP on September 30, 2025 at the former U.S. Steel South Works site on 8080 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Construction on phase one is set to be completed in 2027. The project is part of a broader effort to make Chicago a hub for quantum technology and has attracted university partners, corporate sponsors, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Advocates for the facility include Johnson, Governor J. B. Pritzker, and Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. Johnson has said that the project could create up to 175,000 jobs and bring $20 billion to the area over the next 10 years. Related Midwest, the Park’s co-developer, has projected that it will create 20,000 construction jobs over the next six years.
PsiQuantum, the facility’s primary tenant, says it aims to build “the world’s first commercially useful quantum computers—fault tolerant and on the order of one million qubits.” In contrast to traditional computers, which use bits to represent information through either a one or a zero, quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states at once, allowing for faster calculations of complex problems. The technology, according to Duckworth, could advance medicine, climate solutions, and other fields, drawing global attention and investment to Chicago.
Although many are excited about IQMP’s potential, several community organizations such as SouthSide Together and Environment, Transportation, Health and Open Space (ETHOS), have raised concerns about the possible environmental and social impacts of the facility’s construction.
Past efforts to redevelop the South Works site have faltered since the South Works steel mill’s closing in 1992, partially because of environmental concerns. Since closing, South Works went through a remediation process to break down the harmful chemicals stored in the soil. In 2018, developer Emerald Living cited the soil’s heavy metal quantities as potentially hazardous and carcinogenic, according to Anne Holcomb, a longtime community activist involved in site discussions for over a decade.
“[Emerald Living] did soil testing. And they found out that the ground is toxic,” Holcomb said. “It was not safe to build their homes there and they could not afford remediation. Nobody came along with funds from any governmental level to do the remediation.”
Holcomb said those harmful chemicals remain and that IQMP representatives have been slow to answer questions from her and other residents.
Some South Side residents fear that the facility could further what they describe as ongoing gentrification of the South Side. According to the Hyde Park Herald, PsiQuantum’s tech jobs will largely require advanced degrees, while about 70 percent of residents in the area do not hold college degrees. Activists warn that an influx of higher-income workers could increase property and rent taxes, pushing out current residents.
South Shore resident Dawn Johnson told the Chicago Sun Times that she was concerned that IQMP’s impact could mirror gentrification concerns linked to the Obama Presidential Center, which she says fueled real-estate speculation.
Johnson added that the two developments together could cause mass displacement across some of Chicago’s predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. Former President Barack Obama has pushed back on that claim, saying that “significant gentrification” due to the construction of the Obama Center would take generations to be visible.
Since 2013, the Coalition for a South Works CBA has been pushing for a community benefits agreement tied to proposed new developments on the site to offset potential negative effects of new developments. Currently, the Coalition is aiming to form a legally-binding contract with Related Midwest, PsiQuantum, and other developers to commit to investments in the local community and to introduce protections against displacement and environmental impacts.
PsiQuantum and the Obama Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
