On a 90-acre stretch of long-industrial land straddling 119th and Division Streets in Blue Island, OmniTRAX has flipped the switch on what the company bills as Chicago’s largest multi-modal logistics hub. The site, now in active operation, blends rail-to-truck transloading with secure storage for containers, trucks, and trailers, aimed squarely at serving Chicago and the broader Heartland. City officials and developers are touting the deal as a fresh jolt of jobs and investment for a corridor that has been industrial for generations.
Deal Signed, Trains Rolling
In a company statement via PR Newswire, OmniTRAX, the rail and real estate arm of the Broe Group, said it has locked in a long-term lease to run the 90-acre hub. Senior Vice President Chris Tecu described the parcel as “an extremely rare rail-served industrial site” with “unparalleled market access,” and the release notes that operations are already underway. The project is framed as a public-private partnership with the City of Blue Island.
Inside The New Hub
Commercial Property Executive reports that the lease covers land in the Blue Island Commercial Center, roughly 16 miles south of Chicago’s central business district. The facility is set up for bulk commodity rail-to-truck transloading, along with secure storage for containers and trucks or trailers. OmniTRAX is leaning on its Chicago Rail Link affiliate to connect the site to all Class I railroads, a configuration the company says reactivates an industrial footprint that has existed on the South Side for decades. Local officials point to nearby highway access as a selling point when courting national tenants.
Why Logistics Players Are Piling Into Chicagoland
Market data shows OmniTRAX is jumping into a hot sector. According to a Yardi Matrix industrial report, the Chicago metro’s industrial development pipeline reached about 13.6 million square feet at the end of January 2026, underscoring a growing appetite for distribution and transload facilities. Developers and city leaders frequently point to those numbers when pitching rail-served locations to big-name users.
Rail Links, Highway Access, And A Rare Infill Site
Industry coverage from Trains notes that Chicago Rail Link has worked the Blue Island yard since 1992, and that the new OmniTRAX hub sits on a rare infill parcel with direct access to Interstates 57, 94, and 294. That combination of steel wheels and highway lanes is exactly what shippers look for when deciding whether to pull container and bulk freight off long-haul trucks and shift more of it to rail, logistics analysts say. For OmniTRAX, the development extends its rail-ready footprint in an already crowded Chicago market.
What Comes Next For Blue Island
Public officials say the hub is expected to generate jobs and lure additional private investment, but OmniTRAX has not yet named tenants or shared a detailed construction and expansion schedule. In the company’s announcement, Blue Island Mayor Fred Bilotto praised the deal, saying the project will help attract partnerships that “build long-term community value.” How city permitting plays out, what traffic mitigation looks like, and which companies ultimately sign leases will be the key storylines as the site moves from initial operation toward full buildout.
