Cooling buses sent to shelter housing migrants in Gage Park
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two cooling buses have been sent Thursday morning to the Gage Park Fieldhouse, which is being used as a migrant shelter.
At least one person was seen getting onboard one of the buses, as an Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for the Chicago area.
Back in June, hundreds of migrants were moved from Chicago police stations to the Gage Park Fieldhouse overseen by the Chicago Park District.
Wednesday night the huge air conditioning units stopped working there, leaving people inside sweltering.
"So we are able to work with OEMC to get the cooling buses out here trying to get the repairs done to the air conditioning units which are massive one ton units behind gage park," 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez said.
Alderman Lopez has said this center is meant to temporarily house up to 300 single men who were sleeping in area police stations.
The move came with some controversy when the city announced summer camps would be suspended there along with other activities to accommodate the migrants.
The fieldhouse is more than 100 years old and the cooling situation inside is unclear, but the buses are available for anyone that needs them.
