CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Despite objections by Southwest Side residents and their alderwoman, the City of Chicago is slated to move ahead with construction on a migrant tent camp in Brighton Park Monday.
Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) said she received notice from Mayor Brandon Johnson's office on Friday that Gardaworld will begin construction of a winterized tent camp near 38th Street and California Avenue.
According to Johnson's plans, the site would host up to 2,000 people on the 11-acre site.
In her letter to residents, Ramirez wrote that such a move disregards people's well-being, given that she hasn't received a full environmental impact study of the site, which was previously used for zinc smelting.
Ramirez said it still has toxic metal in the soil.
Brighton Park residents have been protesting the proposal to house migrants at the site for weeks. At one point, nearly 200 residents marched through the neighborhood in opposition to the migrant camp site.
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