The south suburbs, long acknowledged as the blue collar bastion of the Chicago area, are bracing for a population explosion, which could bring with it the most diversified economy in the region.

The just-opened extension of I-355 to I-80 will offer previously non-existent opportunities for the geographically huge region to corral the high-end destination retail stores and commercial atmosphere that it needs have evaded it for so long.

“It’s our time in the sun,” said John Grueling, president and chief executive of the Will County Center for Economic Development.

Chicago’s southern suburbs roughly span two counties, from the Illinois/Indiana border in far eastern Cook County to the Will County townships and cities nestled around Joliet, which now too has become a part of the suburban landscape.

Historically, the area has been a mix of industrial and agricultural developments. It has some commercial elements, but it has never been on a par with DuPage, northwest Cook or Lake counties, which have all become homes to numerous Fortune 500 companies.

However, as the area population expands—Will County expects to double its number of residents within 20 years—demographics are sure to change. Throw in the fact that it has possibly the best transportation infrastructure in the country, with the crossroads of America meeting at I-80 and I-55, and the area has an immense amount of potential.

Infrastructure

It has already become the leading distribution hub in the country as the majority of products moving cross-country find their way to the south suburbs.

All six class one railways in the U.S. come through and are connected in Will County. The area also serves as a shipping route for barges navigating the Des Plaines River on the way to the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico.

Logistics Park Chicago is technically the largest inland port in the world. It will produce 1 million container lifts (from transportation to ground, or vice versa) in 2007 and may see as many as 2 million in five years.

All of this has brought added corporate attention to the area as many big name companies have established distribution centers in the area. This will bring more jobs, which in turn brings retail.

“Will County has always been seen as a blue collar area,” said Grueling. “It has become the fastest growing county in the state. By 2015 we will have more than one million people and will eventually surpass DuPage.”

Growth

According to the Chicago Metropolitan Area for Planning and the now defunct Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission’s 2030 Forecast, Will County will have a population of 1,107,778 by 2030, placing it somewhat higher than DuPage’s 1,002,325.

However, what is more startling is that in 2000 Will County had a bit more than 500,000 residents, while DuPage was estimated at 904,000. This translates into an incredible population boom for the south suburban area.

Perhaps even more significant is the employment growth that is expected in the area. DuPage County is expected to add less than 200,000 jobs in that 30-year-period, while Will is estimated to jump from 169,317 to 443,370.

Southern Cook county communities such as Orland Park and Tinley Park expect to increase population and employment substantially as well, with Orland Park adding just less than 20,000 residents and more than 10,000 jobs and Tinley Park increasing by 15,000 residents and 16,000 jobs, outpacing DuPage commercial destinations such as Oak Brook, which will add less than 10,000 jobs in that time period.

The most startling growth however, will be in communities surrounding the I-355 extension to I-80. Cities such as New Lennox in Will County are predicted to shoot from 17,771 residents to more than 100,000.

With the forecasts in front of them, area leaders have the ability to develop the communities the way they see fit, with perhaps a stronger diversity of industrial, commercial and agricultural economies than neighboring suburban areas have.

Retail will always follow population expansion, as it has already begun to do so with two half-million-square-foot lifestyle centers under construction in New Lennox. Yet many officials want to see the area expand its economic abilities while remaining true to its roots.

Development

“Will County today is like a development laboratory,” said Grueling. “We can look at the experience of other areas and really do some great things. We want to retain our industrial back ground, but also attract higher paying jobs. We have a much more open-minded attitude when it comes to development.”

Grueling was referring to the fact that manufacturing and industrial companies would probably have a hard time relocating to neighboring DuPage County and far northern Lake County, as area demographics would not lend to that industry.

However, Will County is benefiting from numerous manufacturers moving out of Cook County because of higher business costs. The country will continue to attract these businesses.

“Twenty percent of our employment is still in manufacturing,” said Grueling. “We are one of the last bastions of manufacturing in the Midwest.”

At the same time however, one of Grueling’s goals is to attract a Fortune 1,000 company to Will County, significantly increasing its commercial status.

Jim Garrett, president and CEO of the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau, has the same goal, among many others.

“We want to get a major corporation looking at our area,” said Garrett. “We are trying to show the economic value that exists in the southland.”

Garrett’s organization reaches across 63 communities from Indiana to Joliet. Within that area there are 7,000 hotel rooms. His job is to find ways to fill those rooms with travelers.

A major corporate presence would benefit the area as it has in DuPage and Cook, but Garrett has his eye on other options as well.

“We want to bring gaming (casinos) to the southland and we want to develop a multi-use sports complex that will bring regional and national sporting events to the area,” he said.

Garrett said that there is also talk of another convention center in Bridgeview, to match the already existing location in Tinley Park.

He pointed out that the cost of doing business or participating in conventions in some of the southern suburbs is far less than in Chicago or neighboring counties.

Lisa Ziegler is the newly appointed president and CEO of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce. She has only been in the role for a little more than a month, but already she has seen a difference in the southern community than she had in her past experience of working in the western and northwest suburbs.

“In the northern suburbs there are good relationships between most communities, but many of them do so well that they are not reliant on those around them,” she said. “Here there is a greater feeling of camaraderie and all of these communities are really coming together.”

Ziegler’s chamber has more than 860 members across 82 communities, all south of I-55. The chambers main function is area promotion and business retention. The logistics of the region make it very desirable for myriad industries she said.

Airport

She said that one of her main goals will be to focus on the much talked about third airport for the Chicago region.

“The question should no longer be who and where, but how and when,” she said when referring to the proposed airport in Peotone. “The airport would create so many opportunities for the region.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has already approved a 35-square-mile site in Peotone for an airport; however, funding and local approval has yet to be established for the project.

Suburban Cook County has less room for development, but Will County is still mostly agricultural land and open space. According to CMAP only around 30 percent of the land is designated urban space.

“The neat thing is, that in terms of progress we are only half the way there,” said Grueling. “We can really do some neat things in terms of planning. This could be a really cool place to live in the future.”