Mayor Emanuel today joined the Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM) to cut the ribbon on 2FM’s new headquarters. The new facility will relocate 200 jobs from the North Side to Englewood, the latest in a series of investments in the Englewood community. 

“Moving 2FM headquarters to Englewood doubles down on the progress we have made in the neighborhood while helping improve the City’s operations and efficiency,” Mayor Emanuel said. “We’re taking an empty lot and turning it into an economic engine and bringing more jobs, more investment and more opportunity to the community.”

The new facility was built on a 12.5 acre City-owned site at 69th and Wentworth Avenue that was formerly the location of Kennedy King College. The facility at this location will be used for the repair and maintenance of City equipment, such as fire apparatus and snow plow trucks and will also include administrative offices for 2FM and various trade shops to support the operation for carpenters, sheet metal workers, blacksmiths and painters.

The Chicago Infrastructure Trust (CIT) conducted the procurement for the new facility in coordination with the City and provided project management services during the design and contract negotiation. In January 2018, City Council approved the mayor’s ordinance to enter into an agreement with AECOM-Hunt for the design, construction and turn-key delivery of the three new 2FM facilities at a Guaranteed Maximum Price of $40.5M. AECOM-Hunt is exceeding the participation goals of the contract and city standards with:

·         40% of total contract value awarded to MBE firms

·         18% of total contract value awarded to WBE firms

·         50% of construction work hours to be performed by Chicago residents

·         15% of construction work hours to be performed by local community residents from Chatham, Englewood, West Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Washington Heights, Greater Grand Crossing, Park Manor, Avalon Park, Ashburn and Woodland

·         100% Union work

In 2016, Mayor Emanuel directed 2FM to review the configuration and operation of the City’s maintenance shops to find ways to improve operational efficiency for 2FM, the City, and sister-agency departments who use the equipment maintained by 2FM.

As part of this review, the maintenance shop at 1685 N. Throop was identified as being underutilized and expensive to operate given its expansive size and construction type. The 18-acre complex included 410,000 square feet of maintenance buildings for fire trucks, snow plows, police cars and other equipment with annual operating expenses exceeding $1 million.

“The relocated facility will not only save the City operational costs, but also provide 2FM with a new state-of-the-art location that will meet the needs of our operations so we can better serve the citizens of Chicago,” 2FM Commissioner David Reynolds said.

In October 2017, the City Council approved the sale of 1685 N. Throop to developer Sterling Bay LLC for $104.4 million. A portion of the proceeds will fully fund the construction of three replacement facilities, including the new headquarters.

Two additional facilities were built at 4241 North Neenah Avenue to serve as heavy-duty vehicle repair and at 1150 North Branch Street to serve as a city fueling station. Relocating to three new custom built, sustainable, energy efficient facilities will result in a significant decrease in operational costs and a more efficient delivery of critical services for the City.

This announcement is the latest example of Mayor Emanuel’s efforts to revitalize Englewood with community investments that will have long-term benefits for residents, including the Whole Foods Market in Englewood. The Whole Foods Market first opened in September 2016 with a bread-breaking ceremony, bringing better access to fresh, healthy food in Englewood and surrounding South Side neighborhoods, as well as 100 new jobs and economic opportunities. It has since become a thriving community center and anchors Englewood Square, a 5.5-acre retail development that includes a Chipotle and a Starbucks. The City also invested over $1.25 million in small business development immediately around the site on 63^rd and Halsted, leveraging in excess of $750,000 of private capital.

Kennedy-King College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago, anchors the corner of 63^rd and Halsted, preparing 6,000 students annually for further college and careers along a path to upward mobility.  The comprehensive community college is home to the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute and its student-run restaurant, Sikia, which is open to the community during the semester.  As part of an effort to achieve greater efficiency and better support students, 80 City Colleges administrative staff relocated from the system’s downtown Chicago office to Kennedy-King in Englewood this summer.

Under Mayor Emanuel’s leadership, there have been over $30 million in renovations and upgrades in schools in the area, including the renovation of Wentworth Elementary.  The school received new media labs, a new HVAC system, and new roof. Since 2012, math scores in Englewood elementary schools are up 29 percent and reading scores are up 57 percent. More than half of Englewood elementary school students do better than the national average in math and reading growth, and high school graduation rates from Englewood high schools have climbed from 46 percent in 2011 to 74 percent in 2017.

Other efforts in Englewood include support multi-family and single family housing; more than $380 million of CTA investments including the Dan Ryan track renewal and the 63^rd and Ashland Green Line rehabilitation; over $40 million of investments in road infrastructure; and over $200 million of investments in new water and sewer mains.

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