Dermody Breaks Ground on 357,619-SF Class A Logistics Facility in Berkeley, Illinois

Dermody and officials from the Village of Berkeley broke ground Aug. 19 on LogistiCenter® at Berkeley, a 357,619-square-foot Class A logistics facility at 5300 St. Charles Road in Berkeley, Illinois. The project is the largest logistics real estate development in the village's history and represents the third Chicago-area redevelopment Dermody has undertaken in recent years.

The development replaces an older, functionally obsolete industrial building as part of a broader revitalization effort along the St. Charles Road Business Corridor. Village officials said the initiative is designed to attract job-creating tenants and expand the local tax base.

"In redeveloping to a modern, state of the art facility, Dermody has positioned itself as a true partner to the Village of Berkeley," said Robert E. Lee Jr., Village President of the Village of Berkeley. "This project is part of a significant investment in the St. Charles Road Business Corridor, designed for others to invest in the area, expanding the tax base and bringing high-quality employment opportunities to the Village."

Project Specifications and Location

LogistiCenter® at Berkeley will feature 40-foot clear ceiling height, 57 dock-high doors, 357 car parking spaces, and 63 trailer stalls. The facility sits at the corner of North Wolf Road and St. Charles Road, providing immediate access to Interstate 290 and proximity to I-294 and I-88. The site is approximately eight miles from O'Hare International Airport and within minutes of the Union Pacific intermodal facility.

The building is designed to LEED certification standards, consistent with Dermody's approach to sustainable design across its national portfolio. The facility is available for lease beginning in the first quarter of 2027 on a speculative basis.

"The Village of Berkeley has been an excellent partner in this initiative, demonstrating its commitment to support economic development and expansion in the area," said Neal Driscoll, Midwest Region Partner at Dermody. "The location of this infill redevelopment project provides an incredible opportunity for our customers to access one of the most important logistics hubs in North America and serve the greater Chicago market from a single location."

JLL Tapped for Leasing

Dermody has retained JLL to handle leasing for the project. The JLL team includes Charlie Kenning, Senior Managing Director; Jackie Shropshire, Senior Vice President; and Dan McGillicuddy, Vice Chairman.

The speculative facility is being marketed as a near-O'Hare infill option with access to regional labor and logistics infrastructure. No financial terms for the development, including land cost or construction budget, have been publicly disclosed.

Dermody's Chicago-Area Redevelopment Strategy

The Berkeley project is Dermody's third Chicago-area redevelopment in recent years, reflecting a dual-track approach to the market. The firm is also developing LogistiCenter® at Romeoville, a 460,428-square-foot Class A logistics facility at 251 South Pinnacle Drive in Romeoville, Illinois, situated on approximately 40 acres in the I-55 South industrial submarket and targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2026.

Together, the two projects illustrate Dermody's strategy of pursuing both large-format greenfield development in suburban corridors and urban infill redevelopment closer to O'Hare and city labor pools.

Dermody is a privately owned real estate investment, development, and management firm focused on logistics real estate. Founded in 1960, the firm has invested more than $10 billion in total capital and has acquired and developed approximately 110 million square feet of logistics and industrial facilities nationwide, with more than $7.8 billion in assets under management across nine regional offices.

Municipal Partnership and Economic Development Context

Village of Berkeley officials framed the LogistiCenter® at Berkeley groundbreaking as a flagship investment intended to catalyze further private capital in the municipality's industrial corridor. The redevelopment of the site at 5300 St. Charles Road is part of a broader plan to modernize aging industrial inventory and attract tenants that generate employment and tax revenue for the community.

When complete, the facility will stand as the largest logistics real estate project ever built in Berkeley, according to Dermody's announcement.

Sources: Dermody Properties