"We've done quite well," says CB Richard Ellis' Scott Brandwein, leading the leasing team for the Illinois Science/Technology Park. "Each week we get more and more interest." Space needs can range from 5,000 sf to 100,000 sf, he tells GlobeSt.com.

In addition to the facilities that offer a wet lab and office space for biotech, nanotech and life science companies, Forest City Enterprises plans to redevelop the 28-acre campus with up to six new buildings, which ultimately could add another 830,000 sf of space at 4901 Searle Pkwy. "This is a project that will have a monumental effect for the state of Illinois and the region," says Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen.

While the village is preparing to provide $10 million in tax increment financing for the project, the state already has committed $1 million, with the chance for another $4 million if the state legislature passes a capital improvements bill, says commerce and economic opportunity director Jack Lavin. The payoff will ultimately be 3,250 jobs on site, with the campus generating $1.8 billion a year in economic activity, he adds. "The entire ecosystem for bioscience is largely in place, and this facility is one of the last pieces to make it all hum," says NanoBusiness Alliance executive director Sean Murdoch, whose national industry association advocates for nanotech policy and bringing entrepreneurial efforts to market.