Amazon is the first. Wing, Walmart, and Zipline are next. The follow-on operators will need 100+ sites across Chicagoland to cover the gaps. Find out in 5 minutes if your commercial property qualifies — and what it could be worth.
Get my free site assessment →In February 2026, Amazon publicly announced Prime Air drone delivery from its fulfillment centers in Markham and Matteson, launching this summer. Twelve drones at each site. 7.5-mile delivery radius. Two-hour delivery on packages up to 5 lbs.
That radius leaves most of Chicagoland uncovered. Northwest suburbs. West suburbs. Far south. Lake County. The follow-on operators — Wing (with Walmart), Zipline, and Amazon's own expansion — will need third-party sites to fill those gaps.
If you own commercial property in those zones, you may own a drone delivery hub and not know it.
The site spec is smaller than you'd think.
Paved surface. A Wing nest fits within two parking-row widths — about the size of a tennis court.
Three-phase power preferred, road access for service vehicles, room for charging pads and battery storage.
Clear of controlled airspace edges and FAA setbacks from schools, hospitals, and residential clusters.
Strip mall parking, big-box overflow, gas station lots, church and school grounds, light industrial flex, vacant pads.
Address, approximate size, type. Two minutes. No commitment.
FAA airspace overlay, municipal zoning check, parcel-size match, setback analysis, last-mile delivery density. We do the same workup an operator's real estate team would.
A plain-English assessment of whether your property qualifies, which operators are most likely to be interested, and rough lease-rate benchmarks from comparable markets.
We'll review your property and send a written report within 5 business days. Free, no obligation.
A small ground installation — typically 5,000 to 15,000 square feet of paved surface — where delivery drones launch, land, and recharge. Wing's installations at Walmart stores fit within two parking-row widths and are enclosed by an 8-foot security fence. Amazon's launchpads are larger (about 20,000 sq ft) because they co-locate with full fulfillment centers.
It's early — there isn't a public market yet. Comparable deals we've tracked in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina range from $2,500 to $8,000+ per month for the right parcel, depending on size, location, and exclusivity. Your assessment will include rough benchmarks for your specific situation.
No. The assessment is free and there's no obligation. We're building a database of qualifying Chicagoland properties because we believe operators will need them — but the decision to ever lease your property is entirely yours.
No. Specialty Site Partners is an advisory firm that provides informational property assessments. We do not list properties, negotiate leases, or take contingent commissions. If at some future point we offer brokerage services, we'll be transparent about it and you'll have full choice.
FAA airspace classification at your address, municipal zoning compatibility, parcel-size match against operator specs, setback distance from noise-sensitive uses (schools, hospitals, residential), power and road access notes, and a rough match to which drone operators are most likely to be interested in your zone of Chicagoland.
Specialty Site Partners is a Chicagoland advisory firm focused on emerging-asset-class opportunities for commercial landowners. Drone delivery vertiports are our launch service. We're locals — we know these suburbs.
We use it only to prepare your assessment and follow up with you about it. We don't sell or share contact information with third parties. If you'd like us to delete your record at any time, just reply to any of our emails.