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Ford City Mall must close next month, judge rules

By Lauren Westphal
Published  May 15, 2026 5:15pm CDT
Business
FOX 32 Chicago
Ford City Mall ordered to close

Ford City Mall ordered to close

 This afternoon a Cook County judge ruled that the Ford City mall must close its doors for good this summer.

The Brief

    • A Cook County judge ordered the Ford City mall to permanently close by noon on June 22, citing a defective fire system that poses an imminent danger.
    • The closure impacts the main mall only, affecting stores including JC Penney, Foot Locker, Victoria’s Secret, and Auntie Anne’s.
    • The city is considering redeveloping the property into industrial buildings with warehouse and manufacturing space, though some residents want the South Side mall preserved and revitalized.

CHICAGO - A Cook County judge ruled on Friday that the Ford City mall must close its doors for good this summer.

Visitors and mall tenants have until noon on June 22. The judge cited a defective fire system putting tenants and the public in imminent danger.

The closure affects the mail mall, not the north mall, outbuildings or the movie theater.

A list of the affected stores includes JC Penney, Foot Locker, The Shop, Sam's Furniture, Victoria's Secret, Journeys, Lids, Auntie Anne's, and many more.

The backstory:

The decision comes a month after Chicago filed an emergency motion to shut the mall down, with some lawmakers calling the mall a "death trap."

Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th Ward) informed residents in a letter that a developer wants to build four new industrial buildings totaling approximately 913,000 square feet, with 923 parking spaces and 92 loading docks. The buildings are expected to serve modern warehouses, distribution, and light manufacturing uses. The project would provide hundreds of jobs.

Area residents signed a petition to protest the industrial development.

Shoppers say they’d rather see the mall come back to life.

Chicago seeks to shut down Ford City Mall, calls it a magnet for crime

Chicago seeks to shut down Ford City Mall, calls it a magnet for crime

Chicago wants a court to shut down the Ford City Mall, calling it a threat to people who work and shop there.

Gino Yofon said he wants the mall to be upgraded, "I kind of like this mall, why close it down?" He added, "I been shopping here since I was a little kid."

Robert Sanchez said it’s the closest mall to the South Side. 

"Now you gotta go even further to another mall or store to shop and this is pretty convenient," he said. "Look at this big old area of parking. Like I said, it’s a shame."

In recent years, the mall has been the scene of shootings and street takeovers. Police have been actively patrolling around the mall.

The Source: Details for this story were provided by previous Fox Chicago reporting and the Circuit Court of Cook County.

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