In the heart of Chicago’s Central Manufacturing District, a once-vacant industrial site is being transformed — not just with concrete, steel, and insulation, but with color, storytelling, and soul.

Karis Cold’s latest development, Stockyards Cold, is a nearly 100,000-square-foot cold storage facility that delivers on all the core requirements of modern cold chain logistics: 50-foot clear heights for dense pallet storage and automation, blast freezing capabilities for rapid throughput, advanced temperature monitoring, and roughly 14,500 pallet positions across customizable zones. Strategically located near two major highways, it’s built for both last-mile delivery and regional logistics.

But what makes Stockyards Cold truly distinct in a national landscape of boxy warehouse facilities isn’t hidden behind the loading docks — it’s right out front, emblazoned across the building’s insulated exterior.

Twelve large-scale murals by internationally recognized artist David Banegas now grace the building’s facade, turning a next-generation logistics hub into a vibrant public landmark. The murals celebrate iconic moments and places in Chicago’s history, from the Art Institute lions to the White Sox scoreboard, from the Water Tower to a visual resurrection of the long-demolished Continental Can Company tower that once occupied the same site.

“The first time I came to the United States, I came to Chicago,” Banegas said. “This is my home in many ways. These murals represent a shared vision — and my old stomping grounds.”

Born in Bolivia, Banegas first came to Illinois as a teenage exchange student and has gone on to paint large-scale works around the world. Still, he considers this one of his most meaningful projects — both because of its location and its unlikely setting.

“Each mural is about 20 feet tall. You’re painting on cold storage insulated panels, which is not like painting a regular wall,” he explained. “They had to specially treat the walls so the paint would adhere without compromising the insulation. That’s not easy — and not cheap.”

To make the public art possible, Karis Cold worked closely with Banegas and design-build contractor DSI, which modified the cladding and prepped the surface for long-term outdoor durability without affecting the building’s thermal performance. The murals are expected to be completed in early July 2025.

“We didn’t just slap art on a wall,” said Ken Verne, vice president of assets at Karis Cold. “We wanted to make a statement. This isn’t just a box. It’s a landmark.”

The project represents a different kind of thinking in industrial real estate, where aesthetics are often sacrificed in the name of speed, scale, and cost. But for Karis, the decision to integrate art wasn’t an afterthought — it was part of a broader vision for “purpose-built, people-conscious” development.

“This is a leap forward,” Verne said. “Not just for cold storage in Chicago, but for how we approach integrating functionality and placemaking. It’s like comparing a foam cooler from the ’80s to a Yeti. And David’s work brings a layer of identity that’s rarely seen in industrial development.”

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The location is equally strategic. The Central Manufacturing District is one of the oldest planned industrial parks in the country, dating back over a century. Its legacy as a hub for factories and logistics made it an ideal setting for an infill redevelopment that nods to the past while building for the future.

Karis Cold acquired and cleared the long-dormant site, replacing the original Continental Can Company facility with new infrastructure tailored to high-volume food, grocery, and pharma logistics users. Stockyards Cold is currently co-listed by NAI Hiffman and Food Properties Group, and has drawn active interest from a mix of tenant users and investment groups.

The building is expected to be fully turned over by mid-August 2025, aligning with the anticipated mural completion. According to Karis, the goal is to position the facility not only as a functional asset, but as part of a broader effort to humanize industrial environments — especially in urban infill locations where residents and workers engage with these buildings daily.

For Banegas, the opportunity to contribute to that effort was personal — but also philosophical.

“Industrial buildings are often the backdrop of a city, but they don’t have to be invisible,” he said. “This project shows what happens when you bring emotion and memory to the walls.” For the team at Karis, it may not be the last time they do so.

“This worked because the community, the artist, and the builder all understood what we were trying to do,” Verne said. “It’s something we’re proud of — and something we might replicate again.”