New Leases Propel Phase One Growth of 90-Acre Blue Island Project
CHICAGO – November 5, 2026 – OmniTRAX, The Broe Group’s rail and real estate affiliate, and one of North America’s fastest growing privately held rail management companies, has signed a wave of new tenants to propel the growth of Chicago’s newest and largest multi-modal logistics hub. The 90-acre parcel on Chicago’s Southside borders 119th and Division Streets within The City of Blue Island Commercial Center. As the third largest city and the nation’s largest inland freight hub, Chicago’s IOS vacancy rates continue to their record pace of the nation’s lowest.
“Blue Island’s strategic location has been a key reason customers come here and stay here,” said OmniTRAX Rail Real Estate Director Alex Gronewoller. “We believe in the benefits of this site, and that’s why we wanted to grow our relationship with Blue Island. They’ve been a great partner as we all work to bring new jobs and investment to the community.”
The multi-modal Blue Island logistics hub offers access to all Class I railroads through OmniTRAX’s Chicago Rail Link. With one quarter of the nation’s rail traffic passing through Chicago, the market holds an unmatched geographic advantage. In addition to exceptional connectivity, the new site features bulk commodity rail to truck transloading, secure truck and trailer storage, and secure container storage.
“Blue Island is partnering with OmniTRAX to display the City’s value to IOS partners, and we are seeing terrific results,” said Mayor Fred Bilotto. “We are excited to build on this momentum and continue to add new partners and new investment in Blue Island.”
The new wave of leases has prompted planning of the second phase of site development to support sustained demand.