A former City of Chicago Bureau of Electricity building in Gage Park will be sold and converted into an immigrant integration center through a land sale proposal approved by City Council today.

The 6,400 square-foot building and approximately 13,000 square feet of adjacent land at 3357 W. 55th St. will be sold to PODER Learning Center for $1. The $3.5 million project will create eight training rooms, administrative offices, a community room, and a new, outdoor plaza for clients and neighbors.

The two-story, masonry building is appraised at $270,000. The proposed sale price will offset the costs of anticipated environmental remediation needs, which are expected to exceed the property’s value.

The project will create approximately 100 temporary construction jobs and retain approximately 15 employees that will be relocated from another location on the Southwest Side.

PODER is a non-profit immigrant integration center that provides English language classes, civic education, and job training for Spanish-speaking adults.

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