North Park Marines Building To Become Migrant Shelter

City officials agreed to buy a North Park building formerly used by the U.S. Marine Corps to turn it into a migrant shelter for over 500 people.

City Council voted Thursday in favor of a proposal to buy the 10.7-acre property at 3034 W. Foster Ave. using $1.5 million in funding from the Lawrence and Kedzie Tax-Increment Financing (TIF) District.

The riverfront property sits next to the North Shore Channel between Foster and Bryn Mawr avenues. It’s near a CTA yard and across from River Park.

After the city buys and repairs the property, it could house an estimated 550 people, deputy mayor of infrastructure Lori Ann Lypson previously said.

Getting the building ready for move-in could take about three weeks, Lypson previously said. The property needs minimal repairs to its ventilation system and is already outfitted with showers, a mess hall and other amenities.