Ford City Mall closing Monday after city of Chicago files emergency motion over safety concerns

CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's the end of an era at Ford City Mall.

The indoor shopping center on Chicago's South Side is scheduled to close for good at noon Monday under a court order citing safety concerns.

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Last month, a judge ruled that the mall must close by noon on June 22.

The mall, which opened in 1965, was once home to more than 100 stores. Most of those already closed, but outdoor businesses including the AMC theater, Planet Fitness and IHOP will remain open.

The city of Chicago had filed a motion to close the mall due to concerns over a defective fire suppression system. The city's Department of Law filed an emergency motion to vacate the Ford City Mall, located at 7601 S. Cicero Ave.

Officials said the reason for the motion for closing the mall is due to health and safety concerns for mall tenants and visitors.

"The Mall's fire suppression system has been riddled with leaks and has not been functioning properly for that past two years, which, in the event of a fire, could result in severe death and/or injury,' a statement from the Department of Law read in part. "Additionally, the still unidentified leaks in the system could potentially undermine the stability of the soil supporting the Mall, and lead to the creation of a sinkhole and catastrophic structural failure of portions of the Mall itself."

ABC7 reached out to the owner of the mall last month for comment but did not hear back.

What comes next for the property remains unclear, with proposals ranging from warehouses to a mix of housing, retail and green space.