More than 50 years after the Kerr-McGee factory shut down in West Chicago, city officials have created a master plan to transform the notorious site into a recreational area. The city envisions the old factory grounds eventually becoming a community park filled with amenities.
Built around the turn of the 20th century, a weathered brick building just north of Wheaton Academy is slated for demolition. But a group is trying to preserve the historic spot, which served as a passenger depot and power substation for the electrically-operated Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railway.
The development is another step in the Chicago Housing Authority’s long journey to replace the infamous high-rises of Cabrini-Green with lower-density housing.