COMMERCIAL SERVICES (pg.16): COMMERCIAL LENDERS/CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES GENERAL CONTRACTORS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS RE LAW FIRMS
VOL.35 NO.3
THE LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS & USERS
JUNE 2025
Built for the freeze: Why Karis Cold is betting big on Chicago’s cold storage gap
By Brandi Smith
I
n a city known for its deep-dish pizza and harsh winters, it turns out what’s in short supply is cold. Specifically, cold storage.
Even as construction costs, entitlement delays and municipal hurdles stacked up, Karis Cold pressed ahead with its latest development: 3815 S. Ashland Ave., a 99,530-square-foot cold storage facility rising in Chicago’s historic Stockyards district, dubbed Karis
Stockyards. Development Solutions Inc. serves as the project’s general contractor and the leasing team features John Basile, Alex Sutterer and Packy Doyle of NAI Hiffman. The project is set to deliver in July. “There was a void in the market and a real need for modern, food-grade space in that area,” said Jake Finley, CEO of Karis Cold. “We saw an opportunity in a key
location and decided we were going to push through every obstacle to get it done.” Located four miles south of downtown, the site sits within the Planned Manufacturing District, home to more than 265 businesses and more than 15,000 jobs, COLD STORAGE (continued on page 12)