A massive rail yard expansion on Chicago’s South Side — in the works for 15 years and requiring the acquisition of hundreds of homes in one of the city’s most struggling areas — won City Council approval Wednesday despite lingering concerns over its environmental impact and whether remaining residents will benefit.
Backers of Norfolk Southern Railway’s $150 million plan to double the size of its intermodal freight yard in Englewood on Chicago’s South Side say it will be a boost to the neighborhood and the city, create jobs and reduce truck pollution. But the expansion has also raised concerns over the impact of the project on the area and whether remaining nearby residents will gain anything from it, leading to 20th Ward Ald. Jeanette Taylor refusing her support until the last minute.
Aldermen gave the final approval in a unanimous voice vote.
Taylor, who used a parliamentary maneuver last month to delay a vote on a critical piece of the plan to transfer ownership of city streets and alleys to the railroad, told the Tribune Wednesday morning she would vote no. But she reversed course by the time the item came up and said despite her reproach over how the company has handled its plans, the community has decided to drop its opposition.
In remarks on the council floor that were followed by applause from colleagues, Taylor condemned the company for not engaging with her on benefits for the majority-Black community surrounding the area, saying, “I am tired of sitting in a space where I am ignored and not listened to just because of the color of my skin.”
But, she said regarding the neighbors: “They’re OK with it, so I’m OK with it.”
After the vote, the rail company issued a statement calling it “an important moment in the 15 year life of our 47th Street project – a facility that will expand Chicago’s role as the heart of our nation’s supply chain.”
The statement said the vote allows construction to move forward “and will bring additional opportunities for local, diverse contractors and their workers. Once completed, the facility’s expanded capacity will bring good-paying jobs created by Norfolk Southern, as well as those with contractors and other Chicago businesses that support the yard’s ongoing operations.”
Taylor had previously indicated she would back the Norfolk Southern plan, but she said she balked when it came up for a vote last month because she wanted the railroad company to agree to specific commitments for jobs and construction contracts for Englewood residents. She had also pressed Norfolk Southern to undertake a study on the long-term health effects of diesel emissions from trucks and trains.
“It’s just been a disrespect to me and the community,” she said, citing “the displacement of 400 families in a Black community.”
In a letter sent Wednesday to the City Council’s Transportation Committee chair, Ald. Howard Brookins, and obtained by the Tribune, Norfolk Southern made no mention of an environmental study, but asserted that railroads are overseen by federal and not city regulators on such issues. It made no specific commitments on hiring, other than to promise that it will “once again exceed” city targets on contracting. Those targets call for 24% of construction contracts to go to minority-owned firms, and 4% to companies owned by women.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who introduced the ordinance, has defended the project as a means to help keep industrial jobs after decades of decline and has lauded Norfolk Southern’s efforts to engage area residents.
“You gotta go into the community, and Norfolk Southern really has to take the lead responsibility for that — and they have been — to make sure that they’re listening to what the concerns of the residents are and coming up with solutions that address those concerns,” Lightfoot said.
All of this has played out amid the run-up to Chicago’s municipal election, where Lightfoot is in a tough reelection bid and all 50 ward seats are on the ballot. Wednesday’s council meeting is the last one scheduled before Election Day on Feb. 28. Early voting is underway.
John Lippert is a freelance reporter.
