Mayor Booed Over Support for South Side Quantum Campus as Opposition Grows

Overview

• At a recent Southside Together town hall, Mayor Brandon Johnson faced boos after he stopped short of reversing city backing for the 128‑acre Quantum Shore project and left the event after taking questions.
• The planned Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is billed by backers as a multibillion‑dollar campus with major partners such as PsiQuantum and IBM and significant public support including roughly $500 million in state funds and long‑term county tax incentives.
• Project leadership has publicly said the park will not include a data center, even though Related Digital previously announced a hyperscale data center for the broader development site.
• The mayor has issued an executive order tightening city procurement and regulation for data centers and urged a moratorium on new builds, but he has not withdrawn city support or the project’s existing permits.
• Neighbors and organizers continue to protest and plan more rallies, saying the development risks pollution, higher utility bills and displacement for long‑time residents and arguing public dollars should instead fund community priorities.