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LOCATION: 400 E. 147th Street (a.k.a. Sibley Boulevard); Harvey, Illinois Posted July 21, 2005 Wandering around the south suburbs of Chicago, we find this forboding complex of low-rise, red-brick buildings that are cordoned off by a chain-link fence and signs warning of the presence of asbestos. Needless to mention that we were very intrigued by the appearance of this place. One part of the complex, immediately adjacent to the fenced section, has been turned into the garish, colorful "City Public Auto Auction" that is advertised on late-night Chicago television stations. The rest of the complex is in a state of dilapidation, with broken windows and some collapsed walls. As we walk around the place, we make guesses as to its former use. There are few clues beyond the scale of the buildings and their size. One building sports a "for sale" sign, but there are no other signs. The long brick walls are broken by small windows suggestive of countless little rooms. The windows seem too small for a school or office building. Our first guess is that we are looking at the remains of a hospital. Later, we learn that this complex is a former chemical research laboratory for the Atlantic-Richfield Company, an oil company known as "ARCO." The facility site consists of 31 acres. After ARCO closed the facility, a variety of other users rented space here, including a medical junior college. DePaul University had planned to open an extension school in the complex, but cancelled the plans in late 2002 after discovering massive asbestos contamination in the buildings. There are no current plans for redevelopment. The auto auction seems to be doing very well, though.
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