Goose Island is an artificial (manmade) island in Chicago, Illinois, formed by the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west and the North Branch Canal on the east. Goose Island is about 1.5 miles long and 0.5 miles across at its widest point. The total island is about 160 acres.
Streets surrounding Goose Island Elston Avenue and Magnolia Avenue to the west, North Avenue to the north, Kingsbury Street to the east, and Chicago Avenue to the south. Division Street cuts through the middle of Goose Island, running east to west. Halsted Street cuts through the southeast tip of Goose Island, running north to south.
Ogden Avenue, which runs northeast to southwest to Naperville and beyond, begins at Chestnut Street, just south of the Chicago River and the southwest part of the southern tip of Goose Island. This area of Ogden Avenue, just north of Chicago Avenue, runs under the Union Pacific railroad viaduct that carries the UP-N and UP-NW Metra passenger lines. Ogden Avenue does not currently cross Goose Island. Ogden Avenue, which formerly extended across Goose Island and northeast to Lincoln Park, was vacated in the 1960s to make room for development of the Old Town neighborhood between Goose Island and Lincoln Park.
Goose Island has been a site of redevelopment where major land sites and warehouses have been developed or converted into modern manufacturing and creative loft-office space on the island. Developments include the Wrigley Corporation’s research and development facility at the north end of the island, and the former Sara Lee Corporation headquarters at the southern end of the island, which is now used by Kendall College. New Goose Island developments include 909 West Bliss, an adaptive re-use warehouse renovation and 934 North Branch, a 3.5 acre landsite adjacent to the Chicago River. Names that have been used to market the rebirth of Goose Island include Goose Island 2.0, Silicon Island and Innovation Island. Development at Goose Island is similar to development at River North, Fulton Market and Pilsen neighborhoods of Chicago.
The Wrigley Company, wholly owned by Mars, Incorporated, and the largest manufacturer of chewing gum (Juicy Fruit, Wrigley’s Spearmint, Doublemint, and more) in the world is based at the Global Innovation Center in Goose Island.
