The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) would enter negotiations to acquire the former Army National Guard Midway Armory from the State of Illinois and utilize the facility for operational purposes at Midway International Airport under an ordinance introduced to City Council today. 

Located at 5400 W. 63rd St. in the Clearing community area, the four-acre property is adjacent to the southwestern boundary of the Midway airfield. The approximately 75,000-square-foot structure has remained vacant since 2017, when the Illinois Army National Guard ceased operations at the base and relocated its unit to Kankakee.

The ordinance would permit the CDA to enter negotiations with the State to purchase the structure and the land it sits on for fair market value. The purchase would be financed strictly by airport funds, without the use of any local taxpayer dollars.

The CDA would utilize the former armory for operational purposes, including the interior storage of snow removal equipment. CDA control over the structure also ensures the property’s uses are compatible with airport operations, particularly since a portion of the property lies within the federally regulated Runway Protection Zone (RPZ) for Midway Runway 4R/22L.

The sale of the property to the CDA would be contingent on future negotiations with the State of Illinois and approval by the Illinois General Assembly.