To conduct a statewide or multi-regional search click on one of these two links.

• Sites
• Buildings

Or, to conduct a search within a specific economic development region, click on the Regions map link below and then click on a region.

• State Economic Development Regional Map

Please contact David Pierson for additional help at (312) 814-1346 if you cannot find your find your ideal site or building.

Note: If you are responsible for a community or organization’s data and would like to add your local information to LOIS, click here to request training and a user ID.  No representatives may be given rights to enter/edit their data without proper training or DCEO approval. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - LOCATION ONE INFORMATION SYSTEM (LOIS)
Sites / Buildings / Community Profiles

1. What is Location One?
Location One is a web-based tool that markets available sites and buildings, provides community profiles compliant with International Economic Development Council National Data Standards, and also County Profile data in one convenient package.

2. How can Location One help local economic development efforts?
Landing a site selection prospect is about not being eliminated. The site selection process typically starts with over 300 communities, is narrowed to approximately 20 and then is ultimately reduced to three finalists.

In the first level screening of communities, site selectors primarily use the internet. Approximately 85 percent of site selection efforts begin on the web. Actual contact with state and local representatives of the community may not occur until the last stage when the finalists are determined. Communities are eliminated from the selection process without ever knowing they were under consideration. A noted professional site selector sums it up this way, “If your information is not on the web, you are not in the game.”

Location One is the means by which all communities in Illinois will have a prominent presence on the Web, both for their available sites and buildings and their community data.

3. How does Location One work?
The Location One system runs in real-time. The information in the system is available for anyone using the web as soon as it is entered. The same Location One information can be displayed on the DCEO web site, a local community web site, and also on participating local utility web sites. Some information, such as population and certain demographic data is provided at no charge by DCEO. Other information is entered directly by local users. Up to three color photos of a site or community can be displayed along with the data.

4. How much does it cost my community to participate in Location One?
This service is provided free of charge by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

5. We don’t have in-house computer experts, can we still use Location One?
Yes! Location One is simple to use. The only equipment you need is a late model Windows personal computer and access to the Internet.

6. Is special training required to use Location One?
Training is offered at locations in the Governor’s Opportunity Returns Economic Development Regions.

7. Is my data secure?
Communities are given a secure log-in identity and password. Aquila, the utility company that developed the Location One Information System has a secure server and secure back ups in place.

8. When can we start using Location One?
Users can add information as soon as they receive their secure log-on ID and attend training.

9. My city already has a website, can Location One information be displayed on our site?
Yes. It will have the same general look and feel as presented on the DCEO website. However, communities have latitude to customize the application to match the look and feel of their own website.

10. How can I get Location One for my community?
Contact DCEO via the web link to set up a training date.

11. Who in my community can have access to Location One?
Anyone with internet access can view data. Data entry is done by economic development professionals, and will vary by community. In some cases, county officials or regional economic development officials may be responsible for their service area. Eventually, a particular building could be displayed on a community website, a county web site, a utility web site and DCEO’s web site. DCEO has final approval for assignment of system logons.