Chicago City Wire

The Lawndale Fleet Storage Yard is nearing completion, marking the end of Hilco Redevelopment Partners' (HRP) sustainable campus construction in Little Village. 

The Exchange55 Target Flow Center and Lawndale fleet yard have revitalized the former Crawford coal-fired power plant site and adjacent industrial facility into a sustainable logistics hub, creating thousands of well-paying jobs.

“There is no better example of what success looks like than our partnership with Hilco Redevelopment Partners to deliver Exchange55 in Little Village, Chicago’s largest LEED-certified industrial facility,” said James Sweeney, president, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150. “Built with 100% union labor, including millions of dollars flowing to minority and women-owned businesses, this environmentally friendly facility that employs thousands of workers in good-paying jobs is a prime example of what can be achieved when companies make an investment in our workers and our communities.” 

Jaime di Paulo, president and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, told Chicago City Wire, “Hilco Redevelopment Partners’ conversion of the former Crawford power plant into a vibrant and sustainable logistics hub in Little Village is a prime example of the type of investment we need to attract to the often-overlooked industrial corridors of our city. We reaffirm our total conviction that this project, which will generate direct jobs and multiply local small businesses in Chicago’s second commercial corridor, will be the engine of new development for a region that has been demanding quality investment for decades.”

The Lawndale Fleet Storage Yard is currently in its final construction phase, marking the completion of Hilco Redevelopment Partners' sustainable campus in Little Village, according to a Hilco project update. 

The redevelopment and construction of the Exchange55 Target Flow Center created more than 600 union construction jobs, the HRP project update said. The new distribution center now employs thousands of workers, with starting wages at $18 per hour. Additionally, the Lawndale Fleet Storage Yard development, which employs over 100 union construction workers, continues to uphold the Exchange55 standard for collaboration with local labor.

HRP will host a community update on Thursday, April 27 to discuss progress made on the Lawndale Fleet Storage Yard since the December meeting. According to the project update, the earth retention system has been installed, and after paving, extensive landscaping, including the planting of 466 native trees, will begin. The project is part of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Voluntary Site Remediation Program (SRP) and on track to receive a “no further remediation” determination. HRP will also announce the launch of their annual community centric internship and scholarship programs, while highlighting the project's commitment to hiring union labor, and commitment to truck traffic reduction on Pulaski Road and Lawndale Avenue.

The Exchange55 and Lawndale Fleet Storage Yard are built on the 70-acre site of the former Crawford coal-fired power plant and an adjacent parcel in Chicago's Southwest side. The Crawford station was closed in 2012 due to environmental concerns, and in 2017, Hilco Redevelopment Partners purchased the site and has since transformed it into the state-of-the-art logistics facility Exchange55, which was leased to Target in 2019, the project website said.