- Credibility:
DUNNING — A Northwest Side college campus could house migrants for the summer.
Wilbur Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave., is being considered as one of the centers to house migrants from June to August, Ald. Nick Sposato (38th) said. The city has been turning buildings into temporary shelters as it looks to help a new influx of migrants.
Sposato said he was informed about the plans by the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, but arrangements have not been finalized and questions remain.
The alderman said he’s been left in the dark about the plans and wants to get clarity before moving forward. He is pushing for a community meeting with city officials so residents can get more information and share their input, he said.
“If you have a meeting, share a plan, people are a little bit better with it. … If my community is OK with it, I will be OK with it,” Sposato said.
Sposato will hold a community meeting to get feedback on the proposed shelter 6 p.m. May 23 at the college’s theater building, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave.
Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club ChicagoMary May, a spokesperson with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, did not answer a question about using Wilbur Wright to house migrants.
In a statement, May said city officials from various departments are working with community leaders to “identify sites to serve as temporary respite centers to address the recent surge in new arrivals.”
“This includes a diverse set of public facilities that meet the necessary criteria for immediate large-scale temporary respite and shelter parameters,” May said.
Sposato said the college could be a good spot for migrants because it has shower and bathroom facilities and can hold a large number of people — but community input is essential.
Mayor’s Office representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
Nearly 9,000 migrants have come to Chicago since August, many fleeing economically devastated nations like Venezuela and Colombia. Many have been bused to the city from Texas, although some came via one-way plane tickets.
As a stopgap, hundreds of people have been staying at police stations, some of which are overcrowded and do not have beds or showers.
As even those become more crowded, city officials are scrambling to establish more shelters and respite centers.
Piotrowski Park in Little Village has become a respite center, and Brands Park in Avondale is also being converted into a temporary shelter, while parks programs will be moved to a nearby school. Near West Side neighbors opened their own shelter with no city funds.
A plan to establish a shelter inside a former South Shore high school has drawn backlash and even a lawsuit to block it.
Last week, rumors circulated city officials were looking into using the Portage Park field house or senior center for a temporary migrant shelter, but that is “not on the table,” Sposato said.
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