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 Cascade Drive-in left outdoor movie fans with a lifetime of memories.
During those first summer trips to the drive-in, a playground was the place to burn off some energy before the opening credits rolled and you hopped onto the hood of the family car with a carton of popcorn or a foil-wrapped burger.
Many of those kids grew up only to mourn the apparent demise of the Cascade until they were stunned by a plot twist: Last fall, the new owners of the North Avenue landmark teased a return of the shuttered ozoner.
The question now is how much longer until showtime?
West Chicago business park continues growth spurt with Amazon distribution hub The DuPage Business Center is experiencing major growth, West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda said. Daily Herald file photo West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda
Updated 4/23/2021 4:12 PM
About a decade ago, a business park south of the DuPage Airport had just one operating business: a sales and repair office for a window company.
Today, the DuPage Business Center is almost fully built out, home to an Amazon distribution center that helped complete a remarkable turnaround at the massive campus in West Chicago.
Last summer, Amazon opened a last mile facility that handles packages for the last leg of delivery to customers. The 145,000-square-foot distribution hub brought about 250 employees, plus another 300 drivers, to the sprawling site.
Updated 1/25/2021 8:07 AM
Moviegoers are still waiting for the show to start at the beloved Cascade Drive-in, a shuttered theater in West Chicago trying to stage a comeback.
Almost four months after announcing plans for a second act, the property owner is now looking to reopen the drive-in this spring with its longtime proprietor. West Chicago s city council also has approved a zoning code request needed to bring back the outdoor cinema of yesteryear.
However, there are still a number of obstacles and costs, particularly with respect to infrastructure improvements, that impede the owner s ability to move forward with opening the Cascade Theater, an attorney for the land owner wrote in a letter to the city last week.