Gotham Greens expands with 100,000-square-foot greenhouse in Chicago

Gotham Greens opened its largest greenhouse in Chicago on Nov. 13. The expansion enables Gotham Greens to deliver consumers a year-round supply of fresh produce to keep up with increasing demand from retail, restaurant and foodservice customers across the Midwest.

Reimagining a portion of the former Ryerson Steel Mill being repurposed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, the new 100,000 square foot, state-of-the-art greenhouse is Gotham Greens’ second greenhouse in the Historic Pullman neighborhood of Chicago and sixth greenhouse nationwide. The greenhouse more than doubles the company’s Midwest production to 11 million heads of lettuce annually.

“Since 2009, we’ve worked to transform how and where fresh produce is grown to provide more people with access to local, sustainably-grown produce that is as delicious as it is nutritious,” said Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens. “After opening our first greenhouse in Chicago in 2015, we have received tremendous support from retailers, restaurants and shoppers alike who love that we can provide a reliable, year-round supply of fresh produce that’s grown locally. We’re thrilled to open our second greenhouse in Chicago to expand our production and distribution in the Midwest and bring our delicious leafy greens, herbs and fresh food products to even more people.”

Gotham Greens’ produce is grown using hydroponic systems in 100% renewable electricity-powered greenhouses that use 95% less water and 97% less land than conventional farming. The new greenhouse features the company’s latest technological advances, including proprietary data-driven control tools to develop the highest-yielding, most efficient production systems on the market today. This highly automated, climate-controlled facility uses less energy than other indoor farming techniques applied commercially today and is 50% more efficient than its existing facilities.

Gotham Greens will double its workforce to approximately 100 full-time employees in Chicago and 300 nationwide.

Gotham Greens leafy greens, herbs, salad dressings and pesto dips are available at a variety of national and local grocery retailers across the Midwest, including Whole Foods Market, Jewel-Osco, Target, Heinen’s Grocery Store, Sunset Foods, Pete’s Fresh Market and Peapod. In addition, the company partners with various Chicago institutions, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Greater Roseland West Pullman Food Network, Pilot Light and the Chicago Botanical Garden’s Windy City Harvest.

For more information or to schedule a tour of Gotham Greens’ Pullman greenhouses, visit www.gothamgreens.com.

Photo at top: The new 100,000 square foot, state-of-the-art greenhouse is Gotham Greens’ second greenhouse in the Historic Pullman Neighborhood of Chicago and sixth greenhouse nationwide.