Gotham Greens, Brooklyn, N.Y., opened its largest greenhouse in Chicago. The expansion enables Gotham Greens to deliver fresh produce year-round to retail, restaurant and foodservice customers across the Midwest.

The new 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art greenhouse is Gotham Greens' second greenhouse in the Historic Pullman Neighborhood of Chicago and sixth greenhouse nationwide. It resides in the Ryerson Steel Mill, which was repurposed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives. The greenhouse more than doubles the company's Midwest production to 11 million heads of lettuce annually.

"Since 2009, we've worked to transform how and where fresh produce is grown to provide more people with access to local, sustainably-grown produce that is as delicious as it is nutritious," says Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO. "After opening our first greenhouse in Chicago in 2015, we have received tremendous support from retailers, restaurants and shoppers alike who love that we can provide a reliable, year-round supply of fresh produce that's grown locally. We're thrilled to open our second greenhouse in Chicago to expand our production and distribution in the Midwest and bring our delicious leafy greens, herbs and fresh food products to even more people."

Gotham Greens' produce is grown using hydroponic systems in 100% renewable electricity-powered greenhouses that use 95% less water and 97% less land than conventional farming. The new greenhouse features the company's latest technological advances, including proprietary data-driven control tools. This highly automated, climate-controlled facility is said to use less energy than other indoor farming techniques, and is 50% more efficient than its existing facilities.

Gotham Greens will double its workforce to approximately 100 full-time employees in Chicago and 300 nationwide.