Shuttered Crawford Coal Plant to Become Distribution District
One of two coal power plants will be demolished and turned into warehouses for online retailers. Hilco Redevlopment Partners, a Northbrook based company, purchased the former Crawford Power Generating Station in Little Village, and says it will demolish the plant and replace it with up to 1 million square feet of warehouse space. The power plant was one of the last two coal plants running in Chicago, which were both closed in 2012. “Our (potential tenants) want a very strong labor force, and we believe Little Village and the surrounding neighborhoods provide that,” said Roberto Perez, president and managing director for the company. “And the site’s proximity to an exit ramp off I-55 and Pulaski, the second-to-last stop before (downtown) Chicago, is pretty special.” The company says it’s working on a community benefits agreement with 22nd Ward Alderman Ricardo Munoz. (Chicago Tribune)