Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Halts Dumping of “Long-Standing” Water from EMC Basement

Over the past four days DNAinfo|Chicago reporters Linze Rice and Benjamin Woodard have written two topical articles on the dumping of “long-standing water” from the Edgewater Medical Center basement into the Chicago sewer system.  The first article, written on November 15th by Ms. Rice and Mr. Woodard, reports on the putrid odors pumping at the 5700 N. Ashland Ave site was producing in the West Edgewater/Andersonville neighborhood and homes.  The second article, written two days later on the November 17th by Mr. Woodard, reports on the MWRD’s halting of the dumping.  Apparently, the new owner of the property, Sedgwick Acquisitions, LLC, had not secured the proper permit for the discharge.  Sedgwick Acquisitions, a venture of MCZ Development, plans to raise the parking garage and construct 19, high-end, single-family homes there.  In an earlier DNAinfo|Chicago article Mr. Woodard reported on the sale of the garage property to MCZ Development at the end of this October for $3.6 million, and the pending sale of the remaining EMC property to the company for another $3.9 million.

If you were impacted by the dumping, the MWRD Hazardous Waste Dump Hotline number, which is for reporting “illegal dumping of waste into waterways or sewers or complaints of water pollution“, is (800) 332-3867 or (800) 332-DUMP.  The contact info for the MWRD commissioners is below.

• Kathleen Therese Meany, President Board of Commissioners, (312) 751-5646, Kathleen.Meany@mwrd.org
• Barbara J. McGowan, Vice President, (312) 751-5640, Barbara.McGowan@mwrd.org
• Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, Chairman of Finance, (312) 751-5650, Mariyana.Spyropoulos@mwrd.org
• Michael A. Alvarez, Commissioner, (312) 751-5665, Michael.Alvarez@mwrd.org
• Frank Avila, Commissioner, (312) 751-5620, Frank.Avila@mwrd.org
• Cynthia M. Santos, Commissioner, (312) 751-5685, Cynthia.Santos@mwrd.org
• Debra Shore, Commissioner, (312) 751-5690, Debra.Shore@mwrd.org
• Kari K. Steele, Commissioner, (312) 751-5694, Kari.Steele@mwrd.org
• Patrick D. Thompson, Commissioner, (312) 751-5670, Patrick.Thompson@mwrd.org

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West Edgewater Area Residents Call for Demolition of Edgewater Medical Center Buildings

According to DNAinfo Chicago reporter Ben Benjamin Woodard the West Edgewater Area Residents’s board (W.E.A.R.) is calling for the demolition of Edgewater Medical Center (EMC) if a buyer cannot be found in 60 days.  In addition, today’s online article reveals that the Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate, the legal entity that owns the property at 5700 N. Ashland Ave. which has sat vacant for 13 years, is seeking to have vacated in bankruptcy court  the $14M in property taxes it owes Cook County.  Here is a link to the DNAinfo article.

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City May Take Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate to Building Court

DNAinfo Chicago reporter Benjamin Woodard has written an interesting article, Edgewater Medical Center Buildings An ‘Immediate Danger,’ Neighbors Say, about City activity at the abandoned Edgewater Medical Center over the weekend.  According to his piece in today’s online publication when city inspectors visited the location–5700 N Ashland Ave.–on Sunday they found the site to be “dangerous” and concluded that the Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate has failed “to keep the premise in a “safe condition so it does not constitute actual and imminent danger to public”.  In addition, apparently in response to their findings, Alderman Patrick O’Connor has stated the City is taking steps to bring the Edgewater Medical Center Bankruptcy Estate to building court for the violations.  This recent spate of activity resulted from renewed efforts by the West Edgewater Area Residents neighborhood association to once again call to the attention of the City the hazardous conditions of the site.

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Edgewater Medical Center Redevelopment Status

Interesting DNAinfo article by Benjamin Woodard about Dexia’s efforts to redevelop Edgewater Medical Center.  What Has Been Happening with Edgewater Medical Center Redevelopment

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