>> A plan to overhaul the now shuttered Ford City Mall on the city's southwest side is facing opposition developers want to transform the site into a warehouse and distribution facility along with a new CTA bus terminal, reconstructed streets and sidewalks and a publicly accessible plaza.

But some community members worry about what an industrial site could mean for the health of the neighborhood.

Joining us to discuss this topic, more in-depth are Glenford Flowers, spokesperson for the South Side Flourish Movement.

A community group advocating for equitable neighborhood development.

And 18th Ward Alderman Derek Curtis representing neighborhoods on the southwest side like Ashburn, Scottsdale and Auburn Gresham.

We also invited the real estate development company Midwest Acquisitions and Management, which is leading the project but did not hear back.

We think the 2 of you for joining us.

So let's start with that.

200 million dollar development plan that was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission late last month.

It would replace them all with for industrial buildings.

904 passenger vehicle parking spaces, 160 truck parking spaces and 216 loading spaces.

Glenford.

What concerns do you have all >> So one of the biggest things is going to speaking to residents around the area.

Scott still in Ashburn, some in West Lawn.

And one of the biggest things that they have is the environment regarding noise and air pollution.

And again, it's such a big change to have go from a commercial area to industrial.

Again.

Semi trucks already can just sister after new a place keen 79th and residents are worried that that's going to make it much worse.

Just in addition to the possible noise and air pollution that will bring that someday.

Resonse have already complained about just as it is today.

And so to amplify that issue with simply to collect the voices of the community.

>> Alderman Kurtis, you've called this opportunity to bring jobs and investment back to the South side.

Why do you think this proposal is presently?

What do you think?

It's the best option for the community.

>> I think that is absolutely the best.

I for this community.

We're talking about >> long.

>> And his ownership.

And as a been absent for so for many years.

But we have to get permission to cut the grass to fix the potholes.

2 to to fix anything, even fire suppression.

Thousands of gallons of water leaking per day.

They don't know where this stuff is And basically as close right now due to the fact of public safety, if there was a fire.

Got be it.

If there was a fire, someone would be killed.

>> The project's developers, Midwest acquisitions in management.

They've touted some improvements that they believe will benefit neighbors.

Some of those additions include a reconstructed.

76 street new and upgraded public and private utility systems.

And the Ford City Redevelopment Plaza, which will have open space, landscaping and seating for residents glenford to those additions not assuage any of your concerns.

>> So again, going back to talking to the residents.

We show them again, the new version that curve industry put out to acknowledge the plaza and the new green space that they have adding and residents say that is not enough, nor is it willing to sway them from re industrialization of Ford City a lot of residents concerned about the impacts and so that out ways anything that curve industry has been trying to sway residents with.

>> Your organization glenford Southside flourished movement.

You come up with your own alternative plan when he proposed.

>> I am the author of that proposal and it's been a concept idea for around 2 years now.

And it is simply to make a sort of win-win deal out of the public and private sector, which is to involve a more commercial and tourist focus, then industrial so that the city of Chicago can have more of a tourism increase and swing some of passengers for Midway Airport around.

45 million passengers go through Midway Airport annually.

And so to have more of more of a tourism attraction to bring that to those tourism dollars to the South side, Chicago will be a great way of satisfying the No benefits of Dendy in industrial sort of planned.

It's ongoing.

And along with that, it's to acknowledge community concerns and make sure that community spaces are still involved in that area.

And so be the addition of the West outdoor sector and the East outdoor sector, which would have blackened from business subsidies and local business support to make sure that they're still economic commercial activity in that side of the ward and also making sure that there's green space as well with the addition of 2 water retention ponds to mitigate flooding.

The addition of a Fort City park to have that green space and activity for Families edition of EPIC Epic Theatre.

Addition of a fieldhouse, a memorial, a playground, things that can still attract the family aspect while also acknowledging be commercial need and basement into >> Ok, be okay.

So you're asking who's going to pay for it?

But are you open proposals at this point?

Are you locked in on the industrial campus idea?

>> speak to me.

Yes.

locked in on on and on our and us to a deal.

Just go back to and we're talking about reality.

You have to find investors that want to come here and take on this monster of a project to build number one, CIA's the water system underneath is a little 40 million dollars.

This project will bring 200 million dollars back on the tax rolls.

That the city definitely needs.

Also jobs to the city.

We're going to have that pipeline from the college.

So manufacturing and School, it's straight to the Johnson manufacturing.

Whether that be 0.

Any of the the new sites was Solo Cup company.

This is really a no-brainer.

This is better having what we've been having.

We have crime.

There was a guy that was shot last week Saturday.

It wasn't Chicago every week and that doing that street takeovers and a teen takeovers.

Why?

Chicago?

Want this or the community itself.

If we rebuild, we rebuild the.

>> The streets.

We rebuild the infrastructure.

>> We don't have that problem anymore.

People feel safe.

It was I ready industrial before.

All he's doing is going back to industrial.

>> alderman.

So there's been a history and, you know, a present reality for some communities of industrial pollution, environmental hazards plaguing some communities Chicago.

South side.

What measures will there be to prevent a to prevent that to ensure that those communities, you know, still have healthy environment to live in.

>> Yes, they we had a meeting and they explain to them that they have to follow.

Not only the city guidelines, but the federal guidelines when it comes to pollution.

Again, we do traffic studies.

This the streets that they'll be use in.

We'll be even less than what it was.

It's for city was running full capacity.

>> Glenford the mall has been shuttered for just over 2 months now remind us what the moment to the community.

>> So going around asking community members all across the warden all across the South side, it was a place where they could, you know, relax experience.

Joy happen is shop.

And Lou, something like that would be to lose a part of the South side itself.

And again, going back to a curse was saying about it was, you know, at one point industrial, that is true.

But it hasn't been done at that stage.

4 more than several decades now.

And so the community, that demographic has changed environment is such a has changed.

Port City is a brown and to demolish the Arizona and Re industrialized.

It winning next steps for this.

It's a it would go to the City Council committee.

>> Now that the plan commission has has approved that's what we'll have to leave.

It will keep an eye on