Chicago Heights Development Corporation

The Chicago Heights Development Corporation (CHDC) is a newly formed 501c7 not-for-profit development corporation with the mission to recruit and retain businesses as well as grow the tax base and employment opportunities within Chicago Heights, IL (pop. 30,276).

Located 30 miles south of Chicago’s downtown, Chicago Heights has clear strengths in a number of industries. The City’s jobs are highly concentrated in manufacturing, health care, and social assistance, employing nearly 30 percent of all private sector workers. Transportation and warehousing is also a major and growing employment sector. Between 2002 and 2012, the industry grew by over 250 percent and in 2012, it accounted for 12 percent of private sector jobs. All three industries are much more highly concentrated in Chicago Heights as compared to Cook County.

A recent commercial market assessment identified several key challenges including corridor revitalization and creating a concentration of retail and entertainment establishments. Both City leadership and residents would like to see better defined commercial areas and new retail oriented businesses.

Chicago Heights intends to build on these past successes and address the known challenges as well as prepare for the future. The CHDC was created to support new business attraction and to preserve existing businesses with dynamic financial incentives, services, and pro-business climate at City Hall.