Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM) Commissioner David Reynolds today announced that 2FM’s headquarters at 1685 N Throop Street, as well as its equipment maintenance facility located there, will relocate operations and at least 200 existing jobs to Englewood. The move will further spur economic development on the South Side to complement the nearby Englewood Square development featuring a Whole Foods that is set to open this year. It will also enable 2FM to improve its operations and efficiency.

“By moving the 2FM facility at North and Throop to what will be a facility better suited for the Department’s needs, we will help to foster continued economic development on the South Side while improving the City’s operations,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This announcement is the latest example of our efforts to revitalize the South Side with community investments that will have long-term benefits for residents.”

Earlier this year, Mayor Emanuel directed 2FM to review the configuration and operation of the City’s maintenance shops to find ways to improve operational efficiency for 2FM, the City, and sister-agency departments who use the equipment maintained by 2FM. As part of this review, the shop at 1685 N Throop Street was identified as being underutilized and expensive to operate given its expansive size and construction type. In 2015, operating costs for this facility totaled more than $1 million.

“Moving operations from the North and Throop facility will not only save the City significant operational costs, it will allow us to relocate to a new location that will be custom built to meet the needs of our operations,” said Commissioner Reynolds.

In the coming weeks, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) will seek to hire a broker that will market the land for redevelopment. Any private development would include public access to the river as well as a setback along the waterfront.

"Moving 2FM's headquarters to Englewood underscores the Mayor's commitment to the South Side," said Alderman Roderick Sawyer. "This new facility will create construction jobs and the relocation of hundreds of full time workers to this community will help attract even more businesses to the neighborhood."

2FM operations currently located at 1685 N Throop Street will be relocated to 6700 S Wentworth, the old Kennedy-King College site, in a new facility that will need to be constructed by the developer of 1685 N Throop Street as part of the sale transaction. The City is exploring ways for the new campus to provide educational opportunities for residents from Englewood and other neighborhoods. Further, to facilitate additional economic development in the area, DPD will seek to issue an RFP for retail and commercial use of the land east of the Wentworth parcel.

2FM supports the operations of other City Departments by providing high-quality and cost-effective fleet and facility services. Assets managed by the department include more than 10,000 pieces of equipment and vehicles and more than 425 leased and owned facilities.

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