Ford City Mall, which was once a busy Southwest Side shopping destination, could soon be replaced by something far more industrial—and many nearby residents are not happy about it.
Ford City Mall’s next chapter
Ford City Mall, which opened in 1965, was ordered to close earlier this summer due to unsafe conditions. At that time, roughly a dozen businesses were still operating inside, including JCPenney.
Now, the defunct property at 76th Street and Cicero Avenue may be headed for a dramatic redevelopment.
According to Fox32 Chicago, Midwest RE Acquisitions LLC has proposed demolishing the mall and constructing a four-building warehouse campus in its place. The Chicago Plan Commission approved the mall’s rezoning for light industrial use last month.
What developers are proposing
The proposed industrial campus would include:
- More than 1 million square feet of warehouse and industrial space
- Four new buildings
- 904 parking spaces
- 216 loading spaces
- 160 truck-parking spaces
Developers describe the project as a $200 million investment that would revive a largely underused property while creating both construction jobs and permanent employment.
Why neighbors are pushing back
Some residents of Chicago’s 18th Ward are questioning whether warehouses are the right future for the site. Their concerns are more about what comes with an industrial campus, including freight traffic, noise, and congestion around an area.
