Renner Barsella, Sierra Club | renner.barsella@sierraclub.org
Edith Tovar, LVEJO | Cell: 312.612.9256 | etovar@lvejo.org
Kimberly Wasserman, LVEJO | Cell: 708.793.7210
CHICAGO, IL -- Six months after a poorly executed implosion at the former Crawford coal plant, community activists are escalating the demand for answers with billboards calling out the developer, Hilco Redevelopment Partners (Hilco), about continued lack of transparency and cooperation. Since May, the City of Chicago has only hosted one community meeting, with no professional Spanish interpretation, while Hilco has hosted a single meeting only after a mandate from the City. The environmental disaster at the Crawford site blanketed Little Village in a toxic dust cloud and both Hilco and City officials have failed to provide adequate information on the dangers residents may have been exposed to. Hilco is working to redevelop the coal plant site into a truck depot for retail giant Target.
On top of serious environmental justice and health concerns related to associated diesel pollution, the development is a plan that hits especially close to home for Little Village residents. Organizers with Little Village Environmental Justice Organization draw the connection between the Hilco development and the recent announcement that a national retailer, like Target, may move into the Little Village Plaza Discount Mall, pushing out the over 100 local vendors at the nearly three decade old neighborhood staple. Representatives of the impacted vendors will be speaking at the event on Friday.
What: Little Village Activists demand transparency from Hilco and the City of Chicago as Target truck depot development continues to draw environmental, health, and economic concerns made even more dire by the growing COVID-19 outbreak.
Due to COVID-19 speakers and attendees will be practicing social distancing at the event. Please come with a facemask and practice proper social distancing.
Visuals: The press event will take place beneath billboards produced in partnership between LVEJO and Sierra Club, developed by local designer Vanessa Arenas. Images available here and here.
When: Friday, October 30 at 10:00 AM CST
Where: 33rd & Pulaski, Chicago, Illinois & Facebook LIVE here
Who: Speakers include:
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Kim Wasserman, Executive Director, LVEJO, MC
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Edith Tovar, Community Organizer, LVEJO
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Jocelyn Vazquez-Gomez, Just Transition Outreach Intern, LVEJO & LVLHS alumna
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Kocoy Malagón, Discount Mall vendor, Juntos for La Villita
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Karina S., Little Village Resident
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Karen Canales Salas, EJ Education Coordinator, LVEJO
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.