# Prologis and GLPI Plan 3.8 Million-Square-Foot Joliet Warehouse Campus on Former Hollywood Casino Site > Prologis SVP Josh Zemon told Bisnow's Chicago Industrial Summit the Joliet deal pairs GLPI land with Day 1 ComEd coordination so power stays on the former casino campus. Chicago industrial construction fell to 11.4 million square feet in Q3 versus a 37 million peak. - URL: https://www.yourcaio.co/news/prologis-glpi-hollywood-casino-joliet-3-8-million-sf-november-2026 - Published: 2026-11-09 - Author: David Cartolano (https://www.yourcaio.co/about) - Category: Industry News - Property type: Industrial - Tags: Prologis, Gaming and Leisure Properties, Joliet, Chicago Industrial, Development - Source: [Bisnow](https://www.bisnow.com/news/chicago/industrial/hand-to-hand-combat-prologis-exec-chicago-industrial-strategy) ## Key Takeaways - Prologis and Gaming and Leisure Properties formed a joint venture to develop roughly 3.8 million square feet of warehouse space on the former Hollywood Casino Joliet site at 777 Hollywood Boulevard, Bisnow reported November 4, 2026. - GLPI, a gaming-focused REIT, provides the 262-acre land while Prologis develops the project in at least three phases over a minimum five-year horizon, per Bisnow and trade press summaries. - Prologis bought an adjacent shuttered water park parcel for $6.6 million in late October 2026, expanding the assemblage next to the casino campus. - Prologis SVP Josh Zemon said the company met with ComEd on Day 1 of the Joliet project to preserve power infrastructure from the former casino, calling existing service a major development advantage. - Colliers data cited by Bisnow showed 11.4 million square feet of Chicago-area industrial space under construction in Q3 2026, down from more than 37 million square feet at the Q3 2022 peak. **Prologis and Gaming and Leisure Properties are joint-venturing a roughly 3.8 million-square-foot warehouse campus** on the **former Hollywood Casino Joliet site at 777 Hollywood Boulevard**, **Bisnow reported November 4, 2026**, with **GLPI contributing 262 acres** and **Prologis leading development** across **at least three phases over five-plus years**. --- ## What Is GLPI Doing Outside Gaming for the First Time? The **Joliet** project is **GLPI's** first major **non-gaming redevelopment**, per Bisnow's Chicago industrial coverage tied to the **November 2026** deal timeline. **Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based GLPI** historically owns **casino real estate**; here it contributes **land**, while **Prologis** builds **logistics**. Prologis also bought an adjacent **closed water park** for **$6.6 million** in **late October 2026**, expanding the assemblage beside the **Hollywood Boulevard** casino footprint. --- ## Why Did Josh Zemon Call Chicago Development Hand-to-Hand Combat? At **Bisnow's Chicago Industrial Summit**, **Prologis SVP Josh Zemon** described **infill** entitlement work as **"hand-to-hand combat"** but worth it because scarcity supports **rent growth on new product** even with **higher rates and capital costs**. Colliers data in Bisnow's piece: | Chicago industrial pipeline | Colliers Q3 2026 | |-----------------------------|------------------| | SF under construction | 11.4M | | Peak Q3 2022 | >37M | Zemon argued the market **will not return** to **20-30M SF** concurrently under construction because **land, assemblage, and power** are too hard. Prologis still runs a **green light** on **select submarkets** with **high conviction**. --- ## How Does Power Shape the Joliet Bet? Zemon said **ComEd** met **in person on Day 1** at **Joliet** so **Prologis** would not **strand casino-era power**. **Existing utility capacity** is now **table stakes** for logistics development, echoing **[CEO Dan Letter's CNBC comments](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/prologis-harris-poll-decentralized-fulfillment-91-percent-november-2026)** that **energy resilience** ranks **first** in location decisions. That power thread links **Chicagoland infill** to **[Southern California portfolio buyers](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/bkm-kayne-blackstone-1-8-billion-socal-industrial-november-2026)** repricing **light industrial** on **rent correction**, not **greenfield utility drama**. --- ## What Strategy Sits Behind the 3.8 Million Square Feet? Zemon said **customer conversations** drive site selection: **barrier-to-entry infill** and **large blocks** where **Class-A alternatives** are scarce. Users are **upgrading from Class B/C**, supporting **rent growth** that **offsets capital costs**, he told Bisnow. The **Joliet** campus is the **large-format** counterweight to **Minooka** and **Glendale Heights** sites **Prologis** acquired earlier in **2026**. It is **ground-up optionality** while **[BKM-Kayne buy stabilized coastal stock](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/bkm-kayne-blackstone-1-8-billion-socal-industrial-november-2026)**. --- ## The Numbers Worth Writing Down - **Planned GLP SF:** **~3.8 million** - **Land:** **262 acres** (GLPI JV) - **Water park add-on:** **$6.6 million** - **Chicago U/C SF:** **11.4M** (vs **>37M** peak) - **Phase count / timeline:** **3+ phases**, **5+ years** --- ## Casinos to Cubic Feet **Hollywood Casino Joliet** becoming **3.8 million square feet of logistics** is the **2026 industrial story** in one redevelopment: **gaming landlords monetize pads**, **logistics REITs bring power and tenants**, and **Chicago's construction meter** stays **one-third of peak** while **Prologis** still builds. If **[91% of executives want decentralized fulfillment networks](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/prologis-harris-poll-decentralized-fulfillment-91-percent-november-2026)**, **Joliet-scale campuses** are the **supply response**, even when **[monthly apartment rents dip nationally](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/realpage-october-2026-apartment-rent-cut-1-7-percent-yoy-november-2026)** and **[storage advertised rates fall](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/modern-storage-media-yardi-reit-discounting-slowdown-november-2026)**. **Industrial location** is increasingly **energy + infill + phase optionality**, not just **clear height and dock count**. --- ## Sources - ['It's Hand-To-Hand Combat': Prologis Exec On Chicago Industrial Strategy](https://www.bisnow.com/news/chicago/industrial/hand-to-hand-combat-prologis-exec-chicago-industrial-strategy), Bisnow, November 4, 2026 - [Prologis plans nearly 4M sf warehouse campus on former Joliet casino site](https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/prologis-plans-nearly-4m-sf-163105146.html), Yahoo Finance, November 2, 2026 ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How large is Prologis's planned Joliet industrial campus? Bisnow reported November 4, 2026 that Prologis and Gaming and Leisure Properties target roughly 3.8 million square feet of warehouse and distribution buildings on the former Hollywood Casino Joliet site at 777 Hollywood Boulevard. The joint venture expects a multi-phase build spanning at least five years. ### What role does GLPI play in the Joliet redevelopment? Gaming and Leisure Properties supplies the 262-acre land in the joint venture while Prologis develops the industrial park. Trade coverage described the project as GLPI's first major venture outside gaming real estate. ### Why did Prologis buy the adjacent water park site? Bisnow noted Prologis acquired a closed water park property next to the casino campus for $6.6 million in late October 2026, enlarging the land available for the phased logistics park. ### How does power availability affect the Joliet project? Prologis SVP Josh Zemon told Bisnow's Chicago Industrial Summit the team held an in-person ComEd meeting on Day 1 to avoid losing power infrastructure from the former casino. He said existing utility service is a major edge for infill redevelopment. ### How much industrial space is under construction in Chicago now? Colliers data cited by Bisnow showed 11.4 million square feet under construction in Q3 2026, down from more than 37 million square feet at the Q3 2022 peak. Zemon said the market is unlikely to return to 20-30 million square feet concurrently under construction because entitlements are too difficult. --- Cite as: David Cartolano, "Prologis and GLPI Plan 3.8 Million-Square-Foot Joliet Warehouse Campus on Former Hollywood Casino Site," YourCAIO.co, 2026-11-09, https://www.yourcaio.co/news/prologis-glpi-hollywood-casino-joliet-3-8-million-sf-november-2026