Hilco

The 1.3-million-square-foot facility housing a Target distribution center is opening Tuesday at 35th and Pulaski despite years of community opposition.

The mayor's spokespeople spent hours crafting a PR strategy before one raised concerns: "We’re not talking to community first?”

Target will open its distribution center at the old Crawford coal plant site this summer. Jobs will start at $18 an hour.

On the one-year anniversary of the Hilco smokestack implosion Sunday, activists and community members gathered to look back at the botched implosion and amplify the need for environmental justice against polluting industries.

The ordinance sets up a more involved review process for industrial companies wanting to open in the city. No environmental groups supported it, saying it "falls far short of what our communities deserve."

The full size of the controversial warehouse at 3501 S. Pulaski Road is now 1,326,566 square feet, up from 1,023,467 square feet, according to the amended Planned Development approved last month.

The proposal expands the city's role in approving permits to open industrial businesses with minimal community input. "We’re really relying on agencies that have failed ... to be the backstop to industrial polluters coming into more neighborhoods."

As part of changes to the Plan Development, diesel trucks going to and from the site will not be allowed to travel through residential portions of the neighborhood, Ald. Michael Rodriguez said.

The Chicago Department of Public Health will be able to assess higher fines ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 on industrial facilities and demolition contractors who violate air pollution standards.

The Department of Buildings, Department of Water Management and Chicago Department of Public Health will discuss activities at the former Crawford Coal Plant starting 6 p.m.

For an “egregious violation,” the fine could go up to $50,000.

Air quality monitoring data will be available to neighbors during the demolition work.

The changes were introduced two months after the implosion of the old Crawford Coal plant smokestack covered Little Village in a cloud of dust. The last day to provide feedback is Feb. 18.

Hilco must pay $370,000 to a Little Village wellness organization working to address asthma in the area and continue dust mitigation efforts for the remainder of the site's demolition.

Activists are concerned the Target warehouse being developed at the old Crawford Coal Plant will bring more polluting diesel trucks to an area already inundated by truck traffic from nearby industry.

From the Hilco demolition that covered Little Village in dust to General Iron's exit from Lincoln Park, city officials have promised and failed to be transparent with South Siders. Neighbors "don’t have any trust left at this point to be eroded,” one said.

The ordinance gives the city a way to penalize companies that violate rules and development agreements. But it will not apply retroactively to Hilco, responsible for the demolition that covered Little Village in dust.

It’s unclear if the measure would allow the city to claw back incentives already awarded to firms like Hilco, the developer who oversaw the demolition that covered Little Village in dust.

During a virtual town hall as part of a “Lens on Lightfoot” event, the mayor maintains the developer is at fault but vows such an incident won’t happen again.