BERKELEY, CALIF. — Upside Foods announced on Sept. 14 that it plans to base its commercial production for cultivated meat in the greater Chicagoland region. A 187,000-square-foot facility in Glenview, Ill., will be the company’s first large-scale plant.

The facility, christened “Rubicon,” will have an initial capacity to produce millions of pounds of cultivated meat products annually, with the potential to expand to over 30 million lbs. Rubicon will be able to house cultivators with capacities of up to 100,000 liters.

“We’re excited that the next chapter of our journey towards building a more sustainable, humane and abundant future will be in Illinois,” said Uma Valeti, chief executive officer and founder of Upside. “Establishing our plant in this region allows us to tap into a remarkable talent pool, a thriving innovation ecosystem and a notable history of meat production. We are grateful for the collaboration and partnership that we have built at the state, county and local levels in our site selection process.”

Upside selected the destination for its prime location at major transportation crossroads, creating a hub for large-scale production, distribution and sale.

Along with a $140 million investment in the region, Upside expects to create over 75 new jobs, from warehousing and logistics positions to bioprocessing and food production, as well as other commercial functions.

Upside will begin by producing ground cultivated chicken products and plans to broaden its portfolio in the future to include other species and whole-textured formats.

As the first cultivated meat company to receive a “No Questions” letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Upside has taken significant steps to bring its products to the commercial market.

In June, the company received label approval and a Grant of Inspection from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which were the final steps in regulatory review for the company to begin commercial production and sale.