A private security guard working at the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., reportedly returned fire after a group of three people started harassing him and then fired read story
Niles plans to buy former Leaning Tower YMCA on Touhy as part of effort to redevelop area
by BRIAN NADIG
The Village of Niles is planning to purchase the former Leaning Tower YMCA at 6300 W. Touhy Ave. and combine it with a nearby former industrial parcel in an effort to attract a mixed-use development to the area.
The village board of trustees at its March 26 meeting approved a plan calling for the purchase of the 2.5-acre YMCA site, which is located across from Chicago’s Edgebrook/Wildwood community, for $2.1 million.
The village also plans to assume a ground lease for an additional three acres that is owned by the Robert E. Ilg Family Trust and had been used as a walking/running track by the YMCA, which phased out all operations on the site by 2021.
In the 1920s businessman Robert Ilg built a large park, which later included a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, on the property. In the 1960s the family donated some of the land to allow for the construction of the YMCA facility.
The village plans to market the YMCA site along with the former W.W. Grainger property at 7300 N. Melvina Ave., which the village bought in 2019, to developers for a project that could include residential, entertainment and retail uses. Last year the village sold three acres of the 8.6-acre Grainger parcel to Costco for employee parking and a future car wash, which reportedly would be the first Costco car wash in Illinois.
The village now has a due diligence period before it closes on the sale of the YMCA property, village communications and multimedia coordinator Mitchell Johnson said. The YMCA site is located in the Gross Point/Touhy Tax Increment Financing District.
In 2020 the Leaning Tower YMCA permanently closed its membership facilities, and the following year it shut down its housing operations there.
YMCA officials cited the high cost of maintaining their aging facilities combined with dwindling membership and the additional loss of revenue due to the pandemic as the reasons for shutting down all of their Niles operations.
Any possible redevelopment of the YMCA site should not affect the famous 90-year-old half-size replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The village now owns the tower and in 2019 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Several developments are in the works along Touhy in Niles, including the opening of a Crosby’s Kitchen restaurant 6480 W. Touhy Ave. and a marijuana dispensary at 5960 W. Touhy Ave.
Latest Stories
- Police search for reported suspects after exchange of gunfire between group and security guard working at Jefferson Park CTA terminal
A private security guard working at the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., reportedly returned fire after a group of three people started harassing him and then fired their guns toward him during an incident at about 5:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, according to Chicago police. Officers reported finding 23 shell casings and - Man stabbed on CTA Blue Line near Harlem Ave.; suspects arrested in connection with car break-in on Victoria; man steals from car at gas station in Forest Glen
A man was stabbed in his hand at about 4:50 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, on a CTA Blue Line train near the Harlem station, 5550 N. Harlem Ave., after a man with a knife allegedly stole his belongings and attacked him, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police. The 31-year-old man reported that he was - 45th Ward Dems endorse S Gronkiewicz-Doran for alderperson
by BRIAN NADIG 45th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Michael Rabbitt and his Dems 45 organization have endorsed Jefferson Park resident S Gronkiewicz-Doran in the ward’s aldermanic race, which will be held on Feb. 23, 2027. Incumbent Alderman James Gardiner, who is on leave from his firefighting job while he serves on the City Council, is seeking - New business in the works for former CVS site at Milwaukee & Lawrence in Jefferson Park
by BRIAN NADIG A new business, possibly a daycare, is in the works for the former CVS Pharmacy at the southeast corner of Milwaukee and Lawrence avenues. The pharmacy closed in January of 2020, but CVS reportedly continued to pay rent for several years after the store’s closing. The site includes an approximately 10,000-square-foot building - Gunfire reported at Jefferson Park CTA Terminal on Saturday morning
by BRIAN NADIG A possible suspect is in custody after gunfire was reported at or near the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., at about 5:20 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, according to Chicago police. Officers recovered four shell casings, and detectives are reviewing area surveillance footage, according to police. It’s not clear at
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story. Skip every pop-up.
Get the full weekly edition delivered to your inbox — no interruptions, no waiting. Just local news the way it was meant to be read.
Only $19.50/year — less than 38¢ a week
Subscribe Now
This is just part of today’s coverage. Get the full story - every article, every ad, every page. Subscribe now.
The Latest From Our Community
A man was stabbed in his hand at about 4:50 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, on a CTA Blue Line train near the Harlem station, 5550 N. Harlem Ave., after a read story
by BRIAN NADIG 45th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Michael Rabbitt and his Dems 45 organization have endorsed Jefferson Park resident S Gronkiewicz-Doran in the ward’s aldermanic race, which will be held read story
by BRIAN NADIG A new business, possibly a daycare, is in the works for the former CVS Pharmacy at the southeast corner of Milwaukee and Lawrence avenues. The pharmacy closed read story
by BRIAN NADIG A possible suspect is in custody after gunfire was reported at or near the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., at about 5:20 a.m. Saturday, read story
by BRIAN NADIG A luxury hotel and spa for cats is planned for a vacant one-story office building at 5510 W. Montrose Ave. in the Jefferson-Portage Park area. Local resident read story
Browse by Category
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story.
Skip every pop-up.
No pop-up ads — ever. Just stories, the way they were meant to be read
Full weekly edition delivered to your inbox every week — no waiting, no missing issues
Support local journalism and help keep our community connected
Only $19.50/year
That's less than 38¢ a week
Purchase Digital Subscription
Paypal
$19.50
/year
You can submit your payment via Paypal with a Credit Card. You DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT.. Just click the “Paypal Subscribe” button below to iniate your secure payment! You will be directed to a Secure Paypal page in which you can pay with a Paypal account if you have one, or you can select "Pay with Debit or Credit Cardt" option below and process your payment via credit card.
Venmo
$19.50
/year
You can submit payment of $19.50 for a 1 year subscription to Nadig Newspapers' Venmo account using this link. Please include the email address in the comment/note section that you would like the digital subscription sent to.