The last department store anchor at Ford City Mall is closing, likely sealing the fate of the deteriorating shopping center on the city’s Southwest Side.
JCPenney said it will close the store in a month or two. In an email, the retailer’s media relations department said, “Despite our best efforts to remain at Ford City Mall, we have been required by the city of Chicago to close this location along with all other remaining tenants at the property, and will be exiting the property in the next 30-60 days. We are actively exploring opportunities for a new store location in the surrounding Chicago area and look forward to sharing updates as plans develop.”
JCPenney directed shoppers to its nearby Chicago Ridge Mall store, at 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
Chicago officials have asked Cook County Circuit Court Judge Leonard Murray to order Ford City Mall be emptied, citing hazards that include flooding, exposed wiring and a threat of sinkholes.
A hearing in that case was expected Thursday but was continued until May 15. The city and property owner Namdar Realty Group told the court a defective fire suppression system was fixed.
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.
Namdar and Kurv couldn’t be reached for comment. City agencies involved in the case declined to comment.
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.