Lawmakers continue push to use former Midway Armory as CPD district, not storage facility proposed by Mayor

CHICAGO – Some Southwest Side alderpersons, state representatives and residents are holding out hope that a vacant National Guard Building gets turned into a police station.

Elected officials on the Southwest Side have wanted a police precinct to be created in their area for a long time. The current police district that serves the area, the 8 ^th District, reportedly has lowest officer-to-resident ratio in the city.

Ald. Marty Quinn (13 ^th ) and six other alderpersons came together to begin campaigning for a new police precinct, citing the critical need for more police support in the area. Quinn added that currently, 259 officers serve the approximate 250,000 area residents.

The goal of a new police district appeared possible when the state agreed to sell a vacant National Guard Building, located in the 5400 block of West 63rd Street, to the city for one dollar so it could be used as a police station.

However, those plans were recently complicated by a proposed ordinance introduced by Mayor Brandon Johnson to use the building for other purposes.

In March, over 86% of voters in the 13th and 23rd Wards voted to approve an advisory referendum demanding a new police station. Despite that and Gov. JB Pritzker signing off on the bill that would allow the sale under the premise it be used as a police district, Johnson’s proposed ordinance he introduced at last month’s city council meeting indicates he has other plans.

Johnson’s proposed ordinance would require the building to be used only for “storage, maintenance and operation of police vehicles, equipment and aircraft.”

Quinn claimed Johnson tried to essentially rewrite state law when he introduced an ordinance requiring the building be used for storage purposes.

Some elected officials have asked the state to hold off on next steps as they work to resolve the difference in what was signed off on by the governor and what the mayor wants. Quinn said the law states if the property isn’t used as a police district, it will go back to the state.

On Friday, Congressman Sean Casten wrote a letter to Johnson co-signed by Reps. Chuy Garcia (D-Illinois) and Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) urging him to concert the former Midway Armory into a police station. The full letter can be found below:

Dear Mayor Johnson,

Earlier this year, the Illinois State Legislature passed, and Governor Pritzker signed, House Bill 478, a law to transfer the former National Guard Armory at 5400 West 63rd Street to the city for the purpose of adding an additional city police precinct near the Midway airport.  We urge you to use this space for its intended purpose and convert the armory into a police precinct.

We continue to hear from our constituents about their concern for public safety and the need for a stronger police presence on the Southwest side. Residents of the neighborhood overwhelmingly support the development of this new precinct. This year, over 86% of voters in Wards 13 and 23 approved an advisory referendum demanding a new police station. This new precinct would relieve pressures on the existing Chicago Lawn precinct, which is the second largest in the city. The current police district for that area, District 8, has the lowest officer-to-resident ratio in the entire city, with one police district for over 250,000 residents. Despite this public support, your administration introduced a city ordinance designating this space as a storage facility.

We understand your concerns about potential Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation violations if the City of Chicago converted the 63rd Street armory into a police precinct. We appreciate and share your focus on aviation safety. However, we believe there is a path forward.

Federal law requires entities to provide notice about any proposed construction, alteration, establishment, or expansion of a structure that could interfere with air commerce. The FAA addresses these requirements through regulations outlined in Part 77 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which includes an FAA aeronautical study to assess the impact on aviation of some structures that are subject to FAA notification requirements. The FAA then evaluates whether the facility might interfere with navigation or communications transmissions from the airport or other air navigation facilities. In discussions with the FAA, we are confident that the addition of a city police precinct would comply with their regulations.

In addition, since the airport does not own the land, the FAA does not have jurisdiction over its use as a police precinct. However, the FAA would require the city to keep the agency informed throughout the land development process and work collaboratively to develop a solution for the use of the land in the parking lot, which borders the Midway runways, as well as building height restrictions if new structures are built on the land. In particular, the city may need to discuss options with the FAA to separate parts of the land from abutting Air Operations Areas of Midway Airport.

In conclusion, we are confident that with active collaboration and communication with the FAA, the armory can be converted into a police precinct, as the law intended.

Therefore, we urge the City to start the process of converting 5400 West 63rd Street into a new police precinct for the Southwest side of Chicago. The community strongly supports this development, recognizing its significant benefit to public safety in the area.

We stand ready to assist and look forward to continuing to work together to bolster public safety.

Sincerely,

Rep. Casten, Rep. Garcia and Rep. Schneider

“Today the congressionals, Congressmen Casten and Garcia and Schneider, they set the record straight relative to the FAA and how this property could be used,” Quinn said. “What they would say in their letter is that having a police district here in the eyes of the FAA is a permissible use, which is contrary to what came out of the Mayor’s Office last week.”

Quinn added Sheriff Tom Dart also expressed his support for a new police district in the vacant building.

WGN News has reached out to the mayor’s office for a comment. They replied with a joint statement from them and the Chicago Police Department:

“The City acknowledges the concerns of elected officials and community members regarding the public use conversion of the Midway Armory and welcomes further discussion on how to address community safety. The City continues to work with the Chicago Police Department and our partner agencies to analyze the use of Midway Armory in light of federal regulations, budget constraints and legal limitations.”

A rally will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday near the armory with alderpersons and residents. Officials estimate at least 1,000 people are expected to be there.

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