JCPenney, the last department store anchor at the floundering Ford City Mall, backtracked on Friday from an announcement that it will close the location within the next couple months.
However, the future of the Southwest Side mall remains bleak. A court hearing in three weeks could result in an order requiring its retailers to vacate because of poor property conditions.
“We will evaluate our options based on the result of those legal proceedings,” a JCPenney spokeswoman said. She emphasized the company’s desire to continue serving the area, whether at Ford City or another location.
The company had said Thursday that it would close in 30 to 60 days and was investigating options for a new store in the Chicago area. In the meantime, it referred Ford City customers to the JCPenney at Chicago Ridge Mall at 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
But the spokeswoman said Friday it’s earlier statement was based on a belief that a scheduled court hearing would be Thursday. Instead, it was continued to May 15 and the company re-evaluated, she said.
Chicago officials have asked Cook County Circuit Court Judge Leonard Murray to order that Ford City be emptied, citing hazards that include flooding, exposed wiring and a threat of sinkholes.
In seeking a continuance until May, the city and property owner Namdar Realty Group told the court a defective fire suppression system was fixed. Both sides also said JCPenney will update the city on its plans by May 12.
Namdar could be forced to sell out or spend heavily on repairs just to reopen Ford City, 7601 S. Cicero Ave.
Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) has told constituents that a developer wants to replace the mall with a $150 million complex of warehouses or light manufacturing.
Curtis said the prospective buyer, Kurv Industrial, is in “waiting status” while the dispute with the city plays out.
“I’m hoping that they [Namdar] don’t run them away,” Curtis said. His ward includes Ford City.
Curtis said Namdar has neglected the property for years. He’s concerned about flooding that could cause a partial building collapse. Ford City is built over tunnels from when it was a factory for B-29 airplane engines in World War II.
“You have water that’s going under the foundation. What it’s basically doing is washing away the foundation,” Curtis said.
The mall is mostly vacant. “It’s a terrible sight,” Curtis said, noting that the few retailers left often close early.
He has criticized Namdar for letting the site get taken over by “bad elements,” with its parking lots sometimes used for “drifting” takeovers in which drivers spin their wheels and do doughnuts.
The Ford name dates from when the automaker used the property to build aircraft engines for the Korean War. The site was reborn as a mall in 1965 and once had a Carson’s and Sears.