Nation's Largest Aircraft School is on the South Side of Chicago
On Wednesday, September 15th, elected leaders, community members and executives of the Aviation Institute of Maintenance will gather at 3711 S. Ashland Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood to celebrate and commence the opening of the nation's single largest aviation maintenance education facility. ATMI Precast was selected by FCL Builders to provide the precast concrete for this warehouse. This building was designed by Harris Architects.
The bull run in industrial real estate that the country has been witnessing over the last year and a half has been a boon to logistics, manufacturing, and other traditional industrial uses, but at the same time, the increasing demand and need for skilled labor is another piece of the equation which could actually end up impacting some of the exponential growth we're seeing in the Chicago area and beyond.
The Virginia-based company, AIM, has big plans for the Chicago area which will not only provide training towards FAA certification for aircraft mechanics, but will ultimately also offer programs and training for skilled careers in welding, CNC operation, and manufacturing. Currently, the organization has roughly 5,000 students enrolled across the country. After the first five (5) years of operation, the Chicago location could support upwards of 600 students providing a pathway to gainful employment for graduates while also bolstering the local workforce for businesses like Boeing, United, and the numerous other company's that operate in and around the city's airports. However, the skills taught are also transferable to other roles in heavy industry.
AIM opted for a 20-year, single-tenant lease of this new industrial facility developed by Logistics Property Company. This space was originally designed for and meant to accommodate 18-wheeler parking which was converted into standard vehicle parking for AIM's upcoming students. With an expectation of having upwards of 600 students enrolled, the school needed roughly 350 parking spaces to be feasible.
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