Eight different companies and investment groups expressed interest in a potential P3 project for Gary/Chicago International Airport.

Potential investors included among others:

• MXD Development Strategists
• Chicago-based Environmental Engineering firm Greeley and Hansen
• The GCIA Group LLC (a local consortium that includes Davis and Chicago-based real estate developers)
• Washington, D.C. AvPorts 
• Guggenheim Partners 

The proposals were very diverse and they provided with different ideas on developing the airport. Some of the ideas were:

• the airport could become more oriented toward logistics,
• developing an "airport city" that would involve developing the surrounding area with aviation-related firms or businesses that need to be near airports,
• partnering for the operation of the airport, etc.

The authority wanted to have formal interviews with the interested investors before developing a formal request for proposals.

The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority released on June 1oth a Request for Expressions of Interest and Qualifications (REIQ) from private sector interests to gather a broad array of approaches and ideas to invest in the airport and the surrounding area through a potential public-private partnership (P3).

A team of a highly-qualified financial experts, project managers and legal advisers were engaged by the Airport Authority in April to assist in the P3 exploration. The team includes A.C. Advisory Inc., JClark Consulting Group, LLC and Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.