Ford City Mall could be demolished for $200M industrial development

CHICAGO - People who live near Ford City Mall protested at Chicago City Hall as the Chicago Plan Commission voted to approve rezoning the property for light industrial use.

New proposal for Ford City Mall

The backstory:

Developers want to demolish the mall and build four warehouses at 76th Street and Cicero Avenue. The 18th Ward alderman says the proposed development would be new and better than Ford City.

Representatives from Midwest RE Acquisitions LLC presented their proposal to the Plan Commission on Thursday, outlining plans to transform the neglected mall property into a four-building industrial campus.

The development would contain more than 1 million square feet of floor space, 904 parking spaces, 216 loading spaces and 160 truck parking spaces.

Ford City Mall was ordered closed in June because of unsafe conditions. About a dozen stores were operating there at the time, including JCPenney.

Developers say the project represents a $200 million investment that would create construction and permanent jobs while redeveloping an underused property.

But some 18th Ward residents oppose the development, saying an industrial complex would negatively affect the neighborhood.

"The project therefore requires a transparent cumulative air and noise review. Residents also fear long-term commercial decline. Replacing shopping district zoning with single-purpose industrial development could weaken Ford City’s commercial identity and reduce future opportunities for retail, restaurants, hospitality, entertainment, community services and mixed-use investment," one resident said.

What's next:

Developers say a traffic study found the project would generate less traffic than the property did when Ford City Mall was operating.

The proposal now moves to the Chicago City Council for approval.

ChicagoNews