Southern Brothers Train to Reduce Quantum Computing Campus

SOUTH CHICAGO – A quantum computer promises to go beyond today’s supercomputers, processing complex data at incredible speeds that could accelerate advances in technology, medicine and national security.

But South Siders who live near the former US Steel South Works site are asking local and state officials to slow down development of the land that will host Illinois’ quantum computing campus.

“It’s a mess,” 7th Ward resident Anänka Shony said on a Zoom call Friday with neighbors asking state officials to pump the brakes on the PsiQuantum campus. “Our children are not considered, our environment is not considered.”

In an October 9 letter addressed to senior citizens and state legislators, Alliance of the Southeast members and 80 local residents requested more advance notice of development on the site.

The letter comes nearly four months after Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker announced that Silicon Valley tech startup PsiQuantum will take over the vacant US Steel South Works site and change the site to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

The research and development campus will include a “quantity proof facility” led by the Pentagon’s Defense Projects Agency.

The site’s developer, Related Midwest, filed a zoning application with the City Council on Oct. 9. The zoning application can be heard this fall by the Planning Commission, which reviews development proposals, before the zoning committee elections, Peter Strazzabosco, deputy commissioner. The Department of Planning and Development, and a spokeswoman for Associated West confirmed the Block Club.

“The Southeast Side community needs more advance notice for these types of gatherings,” the letter signed by the Alliance of the Southeast and others said. “This explanation is moving very quickly. The community needs more time to process the issues and be part of this process, as joint decision makers. Our tax dollars are used to fund these improvements. ”

In their proposed public benefits agreement, residents wanted an environmental impact study, a commitment to local job creation, measures to prevent displacement and community representation on the project’s management committee as government funding requirements. .

The city’s economic development director did not immediately respond to questions from the Block Club about the status of the community benefits agreement.

“Too often, neighbors in this and other areas of Chicago are not invited and left in the dark during proposed projects that affect our community, or when public engagement is undertaken after decisions are made. all be done behind the doors,” the letter said. “Many citizens, unless they are members of organized groups, are still unaware that there are major changes to come This plan is not encouraging.”

When asked about the community benefits agreement, a spokesperson for Related Midwest pointed to a partnership between United Way of Metro Chicago, Claretian Associates and Local Initiatives Support Corporation to create a “quality of life plan” for South Chicago.

“This process will involve residents and stakeholders in crafting a vision for neighborhood development and growth,” Related Midwest spokeswoman Tricia Van Horn said in an email to the Block Club.

Government officials and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park have held two public meetings since July, and a third is scheduled for Oct. 29, Van Horn added.

The quantum campus is the latest initiative to replace an abandoned steel mill, following several failed attempts over the past two decades.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency first declared the area “safe for work” in 1997 and confirmed those findings in 2006 and 2010. Despite those declarations, some people would represent South Works support after environmental problems arise. In 2018, Emerald Living canceled its plans to build residential homes after reports of soil contamination.

Amalia NietoGomez, executive director of the Alliance of the Southeast, wants the results of those reports to be released to the public before another project goes ahead.

“One of the most important things people want to talk about is getting answers to questions about what’s going on in the neighborhood,” NietoGomez told Block Club. “And mostly because there are a lot of tax dollars that go into this.”

Related Midwest points to the “no further remediation” letter from the Illinois EPA as evidence that the state has passed “the most stringent environmental cleanup standards ever developed under the law.” of the country.” The Illinois EPA did not respond to questions from the Block Club by press time.

“West Link is committed to ensuring that the site meets all current requirements related to maintenance,” Van Horn said. “The company will remediate any risk situations in accordance with the law and to its highest standards.”

Pritzker has adopted quantum computing as his pet project in hopes that the technology will bring economic prosperity to the region. The promise is that the campus will promote Chicago research centers like the University of Chicago and promote jobs in the growing technology sector.

In the next five years, PsiQuantum expects to create 150 jobs and the construction of the site will generate hundreds more, according to a spokesman for the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

However, South Siders like Oscar Sanchez are concerned that without their proposal now, local residents will not receive the benefits of the new campus. He stressed the need for job competition and financial measures to prevent the displacement mentioned in the social benefits agreement.

“Even when we receive investment, this process is moving very fast. Are contracts selected? Are they from our community? Are they like us?” said Sanchez, co-director of the nonprofit Environmental Task Force. “Governor JB Pritzker, we need answers.”

The city, county and Cook County are betting big, with the city using $5 million from its housing and development bond on the project. In September, Cook County enacted a tax incentive that would reduce property tax rates by 15 percent for 30 years, Crain’s reported. In its 2025 budget, the government has dedicated 500 million dollars to quantum research.

NietoGomez argues that without a public benefits agreement, South Side residents will not see the results of those tax breaks. He also said that a lot of public money is needed to repair the area.

Clifton Muhammad, who recently opened a record store in South Chicago down the street from the South Works site, is frustrated with the public money the city and state have directed at producers.

“You walk into a high school, you walk into a park, these places need money,” said Muhammad, speaking on his Zoom and Block Club inside the building in Bessemer Park. “Frankly, it upsets me to know that the money that the park and local high schools need is being used, directly, to reduce the risk of investors before we make a commitment.”

Previous meetings with Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park have provided more information about the project’s plans, even if those answers have angered South Side residents.

Anne Holcomb, co-chair of the South Shore block club ETHOS, is concerned that the campus will draw too much power from the existing ComEd grid.

“If they’re going to pull power from ComEd, is there going to be a brownout?” Holcomb asked. “Will that put the local population at risk when we need so much energy for our lives?”

In response, Van Horn wrote that the campus will not affect the reliability of electric service in the area.

“Furthermore, PsiQuantum, an employer of IQMP, will use 100% carbon-free electricity to power its facility,” he said.

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