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Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters

Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters

August 15, 2012

The Honorable Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago
City Hall – 121 N. La Salle Street
Chicago, IL 60602

Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward
325 W. Huron, Suite 510
Chicago, IL 60654

Dear Mayor Emanuel and Mr. Reilly:

This morning the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters (CRCC) issued a press release strongly supporting the creation of 2,500 construction jobs on the Northwestern University campus in Streeterville, which would help boost our local economy.

With the unemployment rate in our state hovering near 9 percent and a construction underemployment rate at 40 percent, the CRCC fully supports the prospect for a new state-of-the-art research facility on the grounds of the old Prentice Women’s Hospital building on the Northwestern University campus. While the empty site located in the Streeterville neighborhood is well known for its design, razing the building and constructing a new facility will attract some of the best talent and medical research in the world and give a much-needed boost to our local economy by creating jobs both in the medical and construction fields.

Over the past 10 years, construction work on and around Northwestern Memorial Hospital has provided thousands of jobs in a very difficult economy. On behalf of our 37,000 members we are proud to support Northwestern in its plans to create a new medical research facility that will further establish the hospital as a world-renowned medical research institution.

The proposed 1.2 million square-foot facility would create approximately 2,500 construction jobs over the course of the three-year plan. The 30-story building would be set to break ground in 2015 and would pay dividends well beyond construction with the creation of 2,000 full-time staffing jobs. The facility would generate an additional $390 million annually in economic activity. 

We applaud Northwestern’s commitment to economically enhancing the lives of Chicagoans, especially in the Streeterville neighborhood. The CRCC and our industry-leading skilled members would welcome the opportunity to help construct a building that would be a 21st-century leader in medical research. Chicago has a long history of being an industry leader in education and research, and by promoting this project we make a strong commitment to continuing that proud tradition.

Sincerely,

Frank T. Libby
President / Executive Secretary Treasurer