By Nuha Abdessalam
Southwest Siders and others recently gathered at Daley College to hear what could replace Ford City Mall, the once busy shopping center now more than half vacant.
Bridge Industrial, working through Midwest RE Acquisitions, is under contract to buy most of the 62-acre property and demolish the mall. Their plan calls for a $150 million industrial campus with four warehouses totaling about 913,000 square feet, 92 loading docks and nearly a thousand parking spaces.
Curtis backs redevelopment
Eighteenth Ward Ald. Derrick Curtis opened the meeting by reflecting on the mall’s decline and the long-standing difficulties caused by its private streets and aging framework. He pointed to the building’s vacancy rate of 54% and noted that JC Penney’s lease expires in February 2026.
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| Ald. Derrick Curtis |
Calling the property “dilapidated,” Curtis argued that “economic development is the key” and said neighboring suburbs such as Evergreen Park and Chicago Ridge support the redevelopment because they see its importance for their own towns. He added that he would not act against the wishes of his community but emphasized that this level of private investment is rare.
Bridge lays out its plan
Curt Pascoe, Executive Vice President of Development at Bridge Industrial, said the company was a long-term developer of urban infill sites. He said the proposal would meet LEED standards, include solar-ready roofs, and add stormwater detention systems and roughly 750 new trees– about eight acres would be planted with native landscaping.
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| Photo by Nuha Abdessalam |
This would shield the adjacent Scottsdale neighborhood, Pascoe said, as all truck traffic would be restricted to Kostner and directed north to 72nd Street, with loading docks facing inward to minimize noise and light.
According to his estimates, construction would generate around 90 jobs and the completed campus would support 400 to 450 permanent positions, with the potential to reach 1,000 or more. Pascoe said the company was committed to paying a living wage and projected more than $2 million a year in property taxes once the site is secured.
Residents push for answers
Neighbors asked questions to company representatives on several positions. With 92 docks, residents doubted Bridge’s estimate of only 10 to 15 trucks at peak hours.
The developer pointed to a traffic study submitted to the city. Questions about diesel emissions and noise were asked frequently, with one resident insisting, “Put a 10-foot wall all the way along there, I don’t want to hear trucks, and I don’t want to smell your trucks either.”
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| Photo by Nuha Abdessalam |
In response, Bridge officials said their plans for tree plantings and inward-facing docks but acknowledged they would “look into” the request for a continuous barrier. They said an air quality study was performed and found no exceedances of standards and pledged dust-control measures during demolition.
Filling and hiring roles also came up. Residents asked whether neighborhood workers and current mall employees would be prioritized. Curtis said he would push for that, and Bridge pointed to past projects where local residents were employed.
Other questions focused on land use, some argued for housing, retail, or arts space instead of another industrial complex. Curtis responded that those projects are difficult to finance and attract to the city.
Other questions focused on land use, some argued for housing, retail, or arts space instead of another industrial complex. Curtis responded that those projects are difficult to finance and attract to the city.
He argued the Bridge project represents a rare chance for massive private investment, crucial for keeping property taxes down and increasing home values. Bridge said they were open to input on public art and paths but made clear the development would be industrial.
What’s next in the approval process
Bridge confirmed that it has filed for rezoning from a B3-2 Community Shopping District to M2-2 Light Industrial, along with a Planned Development application. The plan must be reviewed by city agencies, then move through the Chicago Plan Commission before heading to the City Council. If approvals line up, demolition and construction could begin in late 2026, with completion in 2028.
Ford City Mall opened in 1965 on land once used for wartime manufacturing, it became the second-largest enclosed mall in the Chicago area but has steadily lost tenants. Namdar Realty Group bought it in 2019 for $16.6 million.
Today, only JC Penney anchors the mall property, and that lease ends in February 2026. Outlot retailers along Cicero and the AMC theater remain outside of Bridge’s purchase and would not be affected.
Smaller tenants inside the mall, like jewelry repairman Nick Zaita, asked what the redevelopment would mean for him. “What happens to me?” he said.
Some in the room pointed to jobs, new tax revenue, and finally putting a declining mall back to use. Others are concerned about more truck traffic, air pollution, and losing a chance to bring housing or community space instead.
For now, the mall’s future lies in the city approval process and in how much influence neighbors can have on the final plan.
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