What’s ahead for Northwest Cook industrial?

Feb. 9, 2026 — The Northwest Cook industrial market continues to attract solid industrial activity, as logistics firms and data center operators expand their presence. The industrial activity is particularly apparent in the data center sector where about 800,000 square feet of projects recently completed or are underway. According to CoStar research, there is also another 2.9 million square feet proposed as technology companies ramp up their space usage due to demand for artificial intelligence, cloud storage and other uses.

With nearly 45 million square feet of inventory, the Northwest Cook industrial market attracts businesses due to its proximity to growing population centers and O’Hare International Airport. The submarket includes a strong power infrastructure that makes it well suited for data centers usage. Logistics businesses are also top industrial users, accounting for 27.8 million square feet of the submarket’s inventory.

Among the other market insights are:

• Industrial construction starts slowed in the past year to 240,000 square feet, compared with the high levels seen in 2022 and 2023.
• The industrial vacancy rate is 5.4%.
• Rent growth reached 4.0%.
• Market asking rents reached $12.48.