The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is inviting interested entities or groups to participate in a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the development of the South Suburban Airport (SSA). This commercial service airfield, set to serve the greater Chicagoland area, will be located on state-acquired land in Will County near Peotone, Illinois. Respondents are encouraged to submit their Statements of Qualifications to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain this project.
This initiative marks a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts of local leaders to enhance economic development and infrastructure in our region. It is also a direct result of south suburban legislators that pushed for, and secured, Governor Pritzker’s support in 2023 for Public Act 103-0317 which required IDOT to develop a process for requesting contractors and other developers to submit plans.
More recently, another measure related to the SSA was also signed into law, PA 103-0864. which allows unsolicited bids to also be accepted, pursuant to the States Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Act.
IDOT’s RFQ, while long-awaited, could not have come at a better time.
A recent study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute issued and reported on by SSMMA and others earlier this month, found that building a cargo-focused airport in the south suburbs would create around 6,300 total jobs and “enhance economic activity in the region by $1 billion, an economic multiplier of $2.01 for every dollar invested, or $250 million per year. It will also boost state tax revenues by $27 million and local tax revenues by $18 million – or $45 million total – during construction.”
The plan for an airport in the south suburbs has been proposed and discussed in various forms for decades but recent legislation and IDOT’s RFQ finally allow the private sector to become fully engaged. Stay informed about the latest developments and news regarding the SSA by visiting the Illinois Department of Transportation's official website
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