The City of Chicago is escalating its battle against the owners of the shuttered Ford City Mall, demanding immediate action to secure the 70-acre property following a chaotic mass break-in caught on camera.
At a court hearing scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5, the City’s Department of Law is expected to issue a formal demand for New York-based Namdar, the current owner, to implement a comprehensive security plan. The city’s mandate includes a requirement for increased physical security personnel and the immediate restriction of access to the expansive parking lots that surround the facility.
The city’s legal push comes after Namdar allegedly missed a Sept. 28 deadline to submit a finalized security strategy. Tensions reached a breaking point this weekend when viral video footage emerged showing a large group of individuals forcing their way into the vacant structure by peeling back plywood coverings and surging through the hallways.
Alderman Derrick Curtis (18th Ward) has labeled the property a “super safety hazard” for his constituents. Beyond the trespassing, Curtis expressed grave concerns regarding the structural integrity of the site, noting that youths have been accessing subterranean chambers beneath the mall. “It’s a super safety hazard because now we have a lot of kids breaking in and actually going into the chambers beneath Ford City, which is really dangerous,” Curtis said.
The security crisis has reportedly spilled over into neighboring businesses. Representatives from the adjacent Tootsie Roll plant recently reported hearing persistent, alarming banging on the underground wall shared between the two properties, sparking fears among plant employees.
The surge in unauthorized activity appears to be partially rooted in retaliation. An individual who shared the break-in footage online told NBC Chicago that the incident was a protest following a controversial video from September, which featured urban explorers alleging they were attacked by a mall security guard in the parking lot. The explorers claimed that one person was intentionally struck by the guard’s vehicle, an allegation that has fueled widespread anger in the community.
“I believe protesting the mall was the right thing to do,” the poster stated, noting the community’s frustration regarding the reported violence.
Namdar has not responded to multiple requests for comment via phone and email. In light of the company’s silence, Alderman Curtis is pushing for a judge to compel the owner to install a permanent security fence around the entire perimeter of the closed site.
While the property is currently a magnet for liability and unrest, its future is already being drafted. A local Chicago development group is slated to finalize its purchase of the land from Namdar in November. The developers intend to raze the decaying mall structure to make way for a modern industrial warehouse and distribution facility, a move city officials hope will finally resolve the ongoing blight and safety concerns.
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