Protests planned ahead of Chicago Plan Commission vote on Ford City Mall rezone plan

Protesters are planned outside City Hall on Thursday morning over a proposal for a once-popular Southwest Side shopping destination.

Chicago's plan commission will vote on a request to rezone Ford City Mall for industrial development. 

Protests are planned for 9 a.m. ahead of the 10 a.m. vote. 

Ford City Mall was permanently shut down two months ago.

It sits in the ward represented by Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th), who has been a big proponent of redeveloping the now-vacant 70-acre lot.

Kurv Industrial needs a zoning change to morph the mall into a four-building industrial complex. The developer pledges to build a public plaza and a new CTA bus stop.

Alderman Curtis says Kurv Industrial will also take care of interior flooding issues. He calls this proposal a "no-brainer."

Opponents of the alderman's plan agree that something needs to be done with the Ford City Mall property.

Some past problems include a fatal shooting in June, and what Curtis said are frequent car takeovers, illegal street racing events involving drifting and other stunts, in the parking lots.   

However, opponents don't like the idea of an industrial complex because they worry about pollution, noise and traffic. They instead proposed a full entertainment district to make Ford City Mall a community destination as it used to be.