Ford City

[YASNY]

Has anyone been by Ford City since the big explosion? I used to hang out there about 30 years ago.

[The Critic]

I take the bus past Ford City every day.

The cops have the inroads blocked and you can't really see much from Cicero Ave.

Just crews working on the affected area.

[YASNY]

Thanks. It's a wonder no one was killed.

[Queen Prawn]

My sister works at the Walmart that is kind of across the street (across the street and north about 2-3 blocks). My parents, brother and sister heard the explosion and they live about 3 miles away.

[The Critic]

My sister works at the Walmart that is kind of across the street (across the street and north about 2-3 blocks).  My parents, brother and sister heard the explosion and they live about 3 miles away.

My wife and I thought we heard it, too.

There was some thunder in the area at the time, so we're not really sure if what we heard was thunder or the explosion.

It was about 8:30 or so when I looked at her and said, "That was a loud one, huh?"

[TLAK]

From Bargain Bunkers

Like most US manufacturers, Ford Motor Company devoted its efforts to making war equipment between 1940 and 1945. Toward this effort, Ford built a 5-million-square-foot factory in Chicago, near the Chicago Municipal Airport (now Midway Airport), to build military aircraft engines. Two huge manufacturing buildings were above ground, but they were linked by two wide, bomb-proof tunnels. After brief post-war stints producing automobiles and then jet engines for the Korean Conflict, the factory languished. By the early 1960s, it was an empty hulk referred to by some as the "world's largest white elephant." That's when a visionary developer bought the complex and turned it into Ford City, an urban shopping mall. The center quickly became successful. By 1987, when Equity Properties and Development Company bought it, the mall had developed one tunnel into additional retail space. The new owner redeveloped that lower-level area, which links the two surface complexes, not only enhancing its internal character but also creating a more inviting entrance from the main mall. Dubbed "The Connection," this tunnel is now a colorful, brightly lit retail corridor featuring 50,000 square feet of space apportioned among 20 stores offering nail, hair, and massage services as well as products including art, clothing, cigars, and collectibles. The other fortified tunnel, incidentally, is being used as a merchandise storage and processing area for one of the mall's department store anchors.

I guess one of the tunnels is what blew, can't think of another area around there that could collect that much gas. I was down in the unfinished tunnel area about 6-7 years ago looking at renting warehouse space. It's got multiple levels with immense reinforced concrete pillars. The cielings are too low and the pillars are so large you can't bury them inside racking, so it was useless to us. Cheap though. I remember thinking if the commies ever dropped the bomb it would be a good place to be.