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Self-driving vehicles, robots planned for DHL facility in Rosemont

Self-driving vehicles, drones, augmented reality "smart glasses" and robots that can pick and pack are some of the technologies that will be on display beginning next year at global logistics firm DHL's new Innovation Center in Rosemont.

Officials gathered Wednesday to break ground for the planned two-story, 28,000-square-foot building on the northeast corner of Higgins Road and Shafer Court, just east of the Tri-State Tollway. It will be the third such DHL facility in the world for the company to showcase products and projects in development to customers, startups, academics, employees and the public.

DHL opened its first Innovation Center in 2007 near its headquarters in Bonn, Germany, followed by a second one in Singapore in 2015 to serve its Asia Pacific market. The Rosemont site, scheduled to be ready by the summer of 2019, would serve the company's North and South American clients.

"You get your customers that are always asking us what are you doing in the space of innovation, and this is a great place to bring them to see," said Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas.

For instance, the firm has started rolling out the use of a robot that accompanies mail deliverers in Germany by transporting items door to door.

It's also begun using more StreetScooter electric vehicles, built and manufactured in-house, that likely will be introduced in the U.S. within the next three years, Parra said.

Employees at some of the company's supply chain warehouses also wear glasses that provide visual displays of order picking instructions.

And the company uses drones with surveillance cameras for security at warehouses in Brazil and Mexico.

What's already being used at DHL warehouses stateside, and what was on display at Wednesday's groundbreaking, were two robots that work alongside humans, helping with repetitive and precise tasks like picking and packing.

The DHL building in Rosemont will have some 9,000 square feet of exhibition space, along with offices and meeting rooms. It's expected to draw about 10,000 visitors a year and employ 40 people.

DHL is leasing the site from a partnership led by Janko Group and Braden Real Estate, which is purchasing the land from Orix Real Estate. The village is providing $1 million in tax increment financing dollars for the development.

The location will mark DHL's fifth in the Chicago area, after its recent opening of a 54,000-square-foot gateway cargo facility at O'Hare International Airport, its 491,000 square-foot forwarding warehouse at O'Hare, and pickup and delivery centers in Franklin Park and McCook.

DHL considered locations in Boston and Dallas and another site in Rosemont before finalizing its new location on Higgins Road.

"We get asked why Chicago?" Parra said. "Well, why not Chicago? It's a big city for us."

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  A groundbreaking was held Wednesday at Higgins Road and Shafer Court in Rosemont for the proposed two-story, 28,000-square-foot DHL Americas Innovation Center. The building will be host to the company's products and projects in development. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens, right, talks with Marc Offit of Braden Real Estate, left, and Gary Janko of the Janko Group at the groundbreaking of the new DHL Americas Innovation Center. DHL is leasing the site from a partnership led by the two firms. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
A rendering shows the proposed two-story, 28,000-square-foot DHL Americas Innovation Center on Higgins Road in Rosemont. Courtesy of DHL
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