Lakeshore Recycling Systems LLC, known for managing mountains of recyclables, just got a financial boost from the City Council. In New City, their latest recycling facility at 4121 S. Packers Ave. has been stamped with approval for a property tax incentive designed to lighten the company's fiscal burden, while ostensibly greening the urban landscape.

The new facility, which sprawled to life in March 2023 after a $1 million detox of the grounds, represents more than just an environmental win; it's a beacon for jobs, with over 700 full- and part-time positions now in the mix. The Class C property tax incentive, courtesy of Cook County, promises to shrink the facility's tax tab by $3.4 million over the next dozen years, an effort to endorse spaces previously plagued by industrial pollution.

Details shared by Chicago.gov confirm that the 139,496-square-foot complex isn't just a colossal mesh of metal and machinery – it's an investment in making New City a cleaner, more attractive place to work and live.

While the tax cut might seem lofty, it dangles on a string of conditions: the facility must continue to serve as a pillar for commercial and industrial grunt work, in an area where the soil itself once recoiled from contaminants. It is a bargain with the future, betting on the longevity of jobs, and the purity of land, the kind of gamble city officials, hope pays off in spades.