Chicago International Produce Market (or CIPM) is a wholesale produce market in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It is the largest facility of its kind in the midwestern United States.

Location

The market is located on the near southwest side of Chicago, just north of the South Branch of the Chicago River

Chicago River

The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...

, between Chicago's Pilsen and McKinley Park

McKinley Park, Chicago

McKinley Park, one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's southwest side.- History :McKinley Park has been a working-class area throughout its long history. This tradition began around 1836 when Irish workers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took...

 neighborhoods. It consists of a single building on a 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) site. There are two entrances: one from the west on Damen Avenue, and one from the north near Blue Island Avenue. Traffic moves counterclockwise around the main building. The western side of the building is used for receiving, while the eastern side is used for loading.

CIPM is a focal point of food wholesale in Chicago, and several other food wholesalers are located within a mile radius.

History

CIPM was built as the successor to South Water Market, which was located roughly 1 miles (1.6 km) northeast of the present site. By the late 20th century, South Water Market had unacceptable congestion and inadequate space. On 10 July 2003, the Chicago Planning Commission granted its approval for the new site. It is being developed by CenterPoint Properties

CenterPoint Properties

CenterPoint Properties is a a privately owned real estate developer based in the Chicago, Illinois suburb Oakbrook, Illinois that owns and develops large industrial real estate tracts particularly intermodal facilities....

. It was designed by Cornerstone Architects Ltd., Itasca, Illinois.