Overview
- The court gave the city, the mall owner, and tenants one more week before ruling on an emergency motion to empty the Southwest Side property.
- Chicago’s Department of Law filed the emergency motion on April 10 after fire and building officials said the mall’s sprinkler and pump system could not provide protection in a fire.
- City filings say the suppression system has leaked for about two years, with standing water, open wiring, poor lighting, and fears that unseen leaks could erode soil and trigger a sinkhole or partial collapse.
- Roughly 16 tenants remain open, including JCPenney, which recently renewed its lease and has pushed to keep operating as the case plays out.
- The fight over short‑term safety comes as developer Kurv Industrial pitches a nearly $200 million plan to demolish the mall for warehouses, a plan backed by Ald. Derrick Curtis but opposed by residents who want retail preserved.