Illinois Technology and Research Corridor

The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is a region of commerce and industry located along Interstate 88 in the Chicago metropolitan area, primarily in DuPage, Kane, and DeKalb Counties. The corridor is home to the headquarters or regional centers for many Fortune 1000 companies (including many specializing in research, development, logistics, and technology), several office and industrial parks, colleges and universities, research and scientific institutions, medical centers, government centers, and abundant shopping, dining, lodging, and entertainment amenities. In addition to the I-90 Golden Corridor, the I-94 Lakeshore Corridor, and the I-55 Industrial Corridor, the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is one of the principal economic centers in suburban Chicago.

The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor in the Chicago metropolitan area

History

The first companies that formed the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor began locating in Naperville in the 1960s. In 1962, Northern Illinois Gas (now Nicor) moved its research and administrative facilities to Naperville in 1962, followed by Bell Laboratories (1964), and the Amoco Research Center (now BP) in 1969.[1]

In Batavia, Fermilab was established as the National Accelerator Laboratory in 1967, with its particle accelerator becoming operational in 1972.[2]

The Corridor Group was formed in 1982, with representation by over 80 high technology companies, national labs, associated industries, and colleges and universities.[3]

Cities and villages

Cities and villages located partially or wholly within the scope of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor include:

Companies
The Oak Brook Terrace Tower, which contains nearly 800,000 square feet of office space and houses several companies, is the tallest building in suburban Chicago, standing at 418 feet (31 stories).

Major companies with a strong presence in the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor include:

Educational Institutions
Altgeld Hall, a landmark building at DeKalb's Northern Illinois University, the second-largest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois

Research Institutions
Fermilab, located in Batavia
  • Argonne National Laboratory, located on 1,700 acres (7 km2) in Lemont, is the oldest national research institution in the United States, chartered in 1946. The only multipurpose national laboratory in the Midwest, Argonne manages and operates a range of scientific user facilities, including the Advanced Photon Source, the Center for Nanoscale Materials and the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. Argonne's annual budget is $650 million and employs 3,500 people. It is owned by the Department of Energy and operated by the UChicago Argonne, LLc..
  • Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, located on 6,800 acres (28 km2) in Batavia, was commissioned on November 21, 1967 by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. It is home to the world's former highest energy particle accelerator, Tevatron. The accelerator was built in 1983 at a cost of $120 million, and was upgraded in 1994 at a cost of $290 million. It employs 2,100 people.

Medical centers
Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora
The DeKalb County Courthouse, located in Sycamore

Government centers
  • DeKalb County Government Center and Courthouse, located in Sycamore
  • DuPage County Government Center, Judicial Center, and Fairgrounds, located in Wheaton
  • Kane County Government Center and Courthouse, located in Geneva
  • Kane County Judicial Center and Fairgrounds, located in St. Charles

Shopping centers
Westfield Fox Valley, a regional enclosed shopping mall in Aurora.
  • Cantera, an open-air shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located in Warrenville
  • Chicago Premium Outlets, an outlet mall located in Aurora
  • Geneva Commons, an upscale, open-air lifestyle center located in Geneva
  • Oakbrook Center, a regional upscale, open-air shopping mall located in Oak Brook. It is the largest open-air shopping center in the contiguous United States.
  • Town Square Wheaton, an upscale open-air shopping center located in Wheaton
  • Westfield Fox Valley, a regional enclosed shopping mall located in Aurora
  • Yorktown Center, a regional enclosed shopping mall located in Lombard

Points of interest
The Arcada Theater building in downtown St. Charles
A view of the Naperville Riverwalk area and Moser Tower in downtown Naperville

See also

References
  1. "Collection124ResearchAndDevelopmentCorridor". www.napersettlement.org. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  2. "Fermilab". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  3. "Collection124ResearchAndDevelopmentCorridor". www.napersettlement.org. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  4. "Our Agencies | IPG". IPG. Interpublic Group. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  5. "Exelon Nuclear extends lease for HQ at Cantera". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2018-04-14.

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