West Lawn residents received a decisive vote from Chicago City Council on Wednesday as the body approved a $200 million plan to replace the deteriorating Ford City Mall with a new industrial warehouse campus. The project, led by Midwest RE Acquisitions LLC – an affiliate of Chicago‑based Kurv Industrial – calls for the demolition of the closed mall at 7601 S. Cicero Ave. and the construction of four 45‑foot‑tall industrial buildings.
Project details and timeline
The development will provide over 900 car parking spaces, 160 truck parking spaces and 216 loading bays. Kurv Industrial estimates the campus will generate about 185 permanent jobs once fully operational, along with roughly 90 construction jobs during the build‑out. Construction is slated to begin in early 2027 and finish by late 2028, according to attorney Liz Butler, who represents the developer.
Community response
While the council’s vote moves the project forward, more than 1,200 local residents have signed a petition urging officials to halt the redevelopment, citing concerns about increased traffic, pollution and safety. Members of the West Lawn Conservation Club and the Southside Flourish Movement have called for a more thorough environmental review and stronger community engagement.
“Residents are not asking this committee to abandon the property. We’re asking you to not make an irreversible decision before the city understands its … consequences,” said Glenford Flowers of the Southside Flourish Movement during the zoning committee hearing.
Some neighbors, including West Lawn Conservation Club president Adolfo Castrejon, suggested alternative uses such as affordable housing for vulnerable families or a downsized outdoor mall. Castrejon warned that converting the site to an industrial campus would be “a huge downgrade and detriment to our livelihoods.”
Support from elected officials
Alderman Derrick Curtis (18th Ward), whose district includes the site, defended the project, emphasizing the benefits of turning a vacant, dilapidated property into a productive asset. Curtis highlighted the anticipated tax revenue, job creation and the removal of a blighted structure that has long plagued the neighborhood.
“Many of us remember what the property once was. We also know what it can become and we cannot allow it to remain the way it is,” Curtis said, noting his 30‑year residency in the community.
Added enhancements
In response to community input, Kurv Industrial has pledged several enhancements to the plan. These include a new CTA bus terminal, the planting of more than 913 trees, 800 acres of landscaping, upgraded storm‑water management, and the reconstruction of 76th Street as a public right‑of‑way. The developers also propose a public gathering space called Ford City Heritage Plaza to honor the site’s 80‑year history, which began as a World War II aircraft factory before becoming a Ford automobile plant and later a mall in 1965.
Looking ahead
The council’s approval clears a major hurdle for the project, but the development will still need to satisfy zoning requirements and any further environmental reviews. If the plan proceeds as outlined, West Lawn could see a revitalized economic hub that replaces an abandoned retail space with a modern, tax‑generating industrial campus.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
