A major part of Chicago’s Ford City Mall is scheduled to close in the coming weeks after a judge partially granted an emergency motion filed by the city.
According to court documents, the main portion of the mall will close to the general public at noon on June 22. The outbuildings, movie theater and the north mall will remain open.
Last month, the city filed the emergency motion as some city leaders pushed to close the mall, calling it a “death trap,” citing serious safety risk and hazardous conditions.
Ald. Derrick Curtis, of the 18th Ward, said the problems have been ongoing for years.
“They have no fire suppression, you have huge pipes in the basement that’s leaking thousands and thousands of gallons of water per day, and they don’t know where it’s coming from—the floor, the ground could give out at any time because it’s washing everything away,” he said.
Pictures submitted to the court show repeated issues with leaks and flooding in the basement and throughout the mall. The city initially reached an agreement with the owner to vacate tenants in the main part of the mall, including JcPenney.
Their attorney fought back in court saying the company needed more time to evaluate the notice and expressed they want to remain open. The company renewed its lease for another five years and was said to be profitable at the location.
