A long-vacant former steel plant site on Chicago’s economically struggling southeast side will be transformed into a multi-billion dollar, 440-acre quantum computing campus, with locally based Clayco as general contractor for the initial phase. 

The first anchor tenant is PsiQuantum, a Palo Alto, Calif., quantum computing company that is set to build the first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer in the U.S., according to a company statement. PsiQuantum will occupy the south side of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park bordering the Lake Michigan shoreline. Its computer operations center will cover more than 300,000 sq ft and include additional acreage for future expansion.

The property, which was formerly the U.S. Steel South Works plant, has been vacant for 30 years. Encompassing 120 contiguous acres, the planned campus will be one of the largest contiguous infill waterfront properties in the country, according to Clayco. 

Related Midwest and CRG are co-developers of the site and Lamar Johnson Collaborative is the lead designer of the first phase. 

The quantum computer will need about 1 million qubits, a number necessary to achieve the critical threshold for quantum error correction, and which will enable highly precise answers for computational problems that can never be solved by conventional computers.  Illinois industries such as agriculture, pharma, energy, materials, financial services and manufacturing are set to benefit from these quantum computing capabilities, PsiQuantum said.

Conor Tighe, Clayco vice president of preconstruction management, said traditional data centers rely on complex and redundant electrical system infrastructure with supporting HVAC systems to manage the heat gain generated by racks. 

Supplying cooling will also be a challenge for the quantum computing center. 

"The quantum computing infrastructure requires a cryogenics plant supplying liquid helium at a temperature near absolute zero to support the process required in quantum chip architecture," Tighe said. "The design, BIM and commission of the liquid helium supply and return will drive overall project success." 

The project has earned state support in the Illinois fiscal year 2025 state budget, which includes $500 million for the park's development. That figure includes $200 million for the buildout of a cryogenic plant to serve cooling needs for PsiQuantum and other potential users. 

“Right here, beneath our feet will be a catalyst for a potential revolution in science and technology for the betterment of life,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker at a July 25 press conference on the site. 

"Quantum computers have held theoretical promise for decades, but it's infrastructure projects like the Illinois Quantam and Microeletronics Park that are required to develop this technology and scale it from hype to reality," said Jeremy O'Brien, PsiQuantum CEO and co-founder.  

Cook County is providing the campus with $5 million and a new property tax incentive program. "Other countries, particularly China, have made significant investments in quantum and we need to accelerate our efforts to catch up,” county Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. 

PsiQuantum is also building a $620-million utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer in Brisbane, Australia, which was announced in April.