When one thinks of infrastructure investing, Chicago is not often the next thought. However, recent actions by the city have brought the infrastructure investing spotlight to the Midwest, and not just due to the magnitude of these cumulative public to private transactions.

Chicago also has seemingly redefined what constitutes an infrastructure asset with its most recent transaction — the leasing of the city’s street parking meters and street-side parking concessions. In a sense, Chicago has taken infrastructure investments into the virtual world, where access to parking on public streets can be monetized or securitized. Virtual asset analogies can be made to casino licenses and sales of broadcast spectrum,  hence what might be most notable about this transaction is that it is the first such $1 billion-plus deal.

In the following, we will delve into the details of the four public to private infrastructure transactions relating to assets owned by the city of Chicago