Chicago Underground Storage Project Draws Objections

The controversial plan for a 6-million-square-foot underground industrial storage facility on Chicago’s Southeast Side has become a flashpoint between developers and environmental activists.

Proposed by a group backed by the Ozinga family, the project, called The Invert, would involve tunneling deep beneath the contaminated former Acme Steel Coke Plant to create a storage complex intended to revitalize the area’s economy while minimizing environmental impact, the Chicago Tribune reported. But residents are wary after decades of industry treating their neighborhood as disposable. Ozinga, led by CEO Marty Ozinga, is a concrete supplier in Mokena.

The developers argue that The Invert would generate thousands of jobs without worsening air pollution. The underground design makes use of a largely vacant site and won’t contribute to the area’s high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, they say.

“We’re actually cleaning up the site, so from our vantage point, we’re actually improving public health,” said Alberto Rincón, senior vice president of Invert Chicago.

However, that sounds a little too tidy for activists, who view The Invert as yet another burden on an already heavily polluted community. Gina Ramírez of the National Resources Defense Council and longtime East Side resident, expressed concerns about the project’s true impact.

“Nobody says, ‘I’ve had this dream of having an underground mine in the neighborhood,’” she said, criticizing the lack of community input.

The Southeast Side, bordered by the Calumet River, bears the scars of a century of industrial activity.

Residents suffer from higher levels of lead toxicity and respiratory illnesses than other parts of Chicago, according to a 2019 study by the University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute. Cheryl Johnson, who has been fighting against pollution in Chicago for 40 years and is the executive director of People for Community Recovery, fears the area will once again serve as a “dumping ground” for potentially harmful projects.

Supporters, including some local residents and Alderman Peter Chico, believe The Invert could bring much-needed economic activity. Yet a recent ruling from Chicago’s zoning administrator categorized the excavation as “mining,” which is banned in the city, complicating the project’s approval. The developers remain undeterred, planning to work with city officials to find a legal pathway forward.