The mayor's office says Chicago's plans to erect tent shelters for migrants are on ice for now. According to mayoral spokesman Ronnie Reese, after sinking nearly $1M into a scrapped base camp in Brighton Park, the city is pressing the brakes. Crediting other, more successful measures for reducing the migrant count at local police stations and O'Hare Airport, the city sees no immediate need for the tent shelters previously earmarked for locations like 115th and Halsted, Reese explained to NBC Chicago.
Proving less than environmentally sound, the chosen Brighton Park site was axed by Governor J.B. Pritzker over hazardous concerns, shifting the focus towards more stable brick-and-mortar solutions. According to the city, these efforts have paid off, slashing the migrant numbers from thousands to several hundred and clearing out 15 of the 22 police stations by Monday, as NBC Chicago reported.
Meanwhile, the financial hole left by the failed Brighton Park tent shelter digs deeper into taxpayer pockets. The ABC7 I-Team unearthed records indicating the city forked over $985,000 through Dec. 5, before the project was kiboshed by the state due to environmental red flags. This figure is just a slice of the pie, with a $125 million contract hanging over the state's head, agreed upon with private contractor Gardaworld. "They knew as they were building this shelter before the environmental report came in that it was possible that the environmental report wouldn't allow the completion of the shelter," Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said, following the discovery of the problematic environmental assessment, ABC7 Chicago reported.
After dodging the failed tent plan, the city, along with the state, is looking towards properties owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago as probable migrant housing. Locations include a former CVS slated to shelter 200 people before Christmas and a new facility by January that is expected to accommodate around 350 migrants at the former St. Bartholomew School in Portage Park. Susan Thomas, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, revealed to NBC Chicago that lease negotiations with the city are nearing completion to transform parish properties into operational shelters.
As this strategic shift unfolds, Chicago's city council has taken steps to manage the present influx. Aldermen approved an ordinance to impound buses not adhering to the designated migrant drop-off point at 8th Street and Des Plaines in the Loop. Despite a drop in numbers, hundreds of migrants remained in limbo, with 354 still awaiting placement, as reported by the OEMC and spotlighted by ABC7 Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson affirms the city's proactive stance, moving forward with alternate migrant accommodations despite no specific sites being disclosed after the City Council meeting on Wednesday.
