Proposed Plan For $150 Million Massive Redevelopment Of Ford City Not A Done Deal Yet

CHICAGO — An industrial developer specializing in warehouse development is eyeing the Ford City Mall for possible demolition and transform the parcel with a modern, master-planned industrial campus.

Residents learned about the pending sale of Ford City to Midwest RE Acquisitions LLC, the contract purchaser and an affiliate of Chicago-based Bridge Industrial, in the 18th Ward newsletter.

Bridge wants to invest over $150 million into the beleaguered shopping mall along 7400-7600 S. Kostner Avenue/7602 S. Cicero Avenue. The proposed industrial development requires zoning changes from B3-2 Community Shopping District to M2-2 light industrial district, and, eventually, Planned Industrial Development.

The project requires approval from the Chicago Plan Commission before going to the Chicago City Council for a full vote. A community meeting is expected to take place in early August, with the project going before the city plan commission as soon as its next meeting on Aug. 21.

Plans call for four industrial buildings totaling 913,000 square feet, with 923 parking spaces and 92 loading docks. The proposed development will incorporate LEED-certified building design that aligns with the city’s climate and sustainability goals.

“It’s going to put these acres and acres of land back on the tax rolls,” Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) told WGN.

The 62-acre parcel at Cicero and Kostner has gone through various incarnations as a defense plant during World War II and the Korean War, and as a Ford Motor Co. automotive plant. The mid-century, enclosed mall opened in 1965, and was the second-largest enclosed mall in the Chicago area.

In recent years, Ford City has struggled with significant vacancies and disinvestment. Namdar Realty Group purchased the distressed mall in 2019 for $16.6 million. The sole remaining anchor is JC Penney, whose lease is up for renewal in March 2026, 18th Ward business liaison Vernon Wiltz told Patch. Vacancy in the mall is said to be 54 percent. Smaller stores, such as Victoria’s Secret and Bed, Bath & Beyond, are still open for business in the 60-year-old building.

Should the sale go through, Namdar would keep the retail properties along Cicero, which include Marshall's, Ross, Old Navy and other stores. The Ford City AMC 14 movie theater would also remain, Wiltz said.

While specific industrial and logistics tenants have not yet been identified, the buildings are expected to serve modern warehouse distribution and light manufacturing uses. Spaces can also be built to a tenant’s specifications. Truck traffic would also be diverted from away from Cicero Avenue and 76th Street.

Bridge wants to start construction in Fall 2026 with a targeted completion date of Fall 2028.
Construction is expected to produce 90 jobs, and 400 to 450 permanent jobs once operational. Curtis told residents that the development would bring additional benefits, including significantly increased property tax revenue, enhanced stormwater management and rebuilding of 76th Street and Cicero Avenue. The developer also plans to plant over 750 trees to buffer Scottsdale residences.

The proposed project has drawn mixed reviews from residents on the community news site Southwest Chicago Post Facebook page.

“Once that area is cleared out, can you imagine the rodents?”

“An opportunity to build the next great Chicago neighborhood. Proposal should include housing.”

“I vote no to industrial warehouses. It should become something useable by the community and/or housing (houses, not just apartments).”

“Honestly they should knock the mall down and build a modern new fresh look of outdoor mall maybe outlets mall.”

“This mall has been empty for years, and you are against it. Were you against it becoming a downhill mall? I don’t oppose.”

Many residents wanted to see the Orange Line extended to Ford City. The alderman said Bridge Industrial is committed to working closely with neighbors and stakeholders as the plan moves forward.

Jason Huff, 8th District Police councilman, community organizer and dispatcher, told Patch that he doesn’t agree with a light industrial complex at the Ford City location. He claimed the area is glutted with industrial parks in nearby Bedford Park, where there are vacancies at industrial spaces up and down 73rd Street.

“750 trees won’t block diesel and noise,” Huff told Patch. “I would have liked to see a retail development with stand-alone stores.”