NEW 2FM HEADQUARTERS MEANS 200 JOBS ARE BEING RELOCATED TO THE SOUTH SIDE

Community members and local government officials recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management’s new headquarters in Englewood. Photo Credit: Patrick Pyszka/City of Chicago
Community members and local government officials recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management’s new headquarters in Englewood. Photo Credit: Patrick Pyszka/City of Chicago

New 2FM Headquarters Means 200 Jobs Are Being Relocated To The South Side

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Chicago’s Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM) along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for 2FM’s new headquarters in Englewood which brings along with it the relocation of 200 jobs from the north side to the south side.

“This is a great day for the city and a great day for the sixth ward. When this project first came about quite honestly, it was criticized. Many people stated that it was just moving a problem from one area to another area.

I said just the opposite, this is creating an opportunity for this neighborhood,” said Sixth Ward Alderman, Roderick Sawyer. Sitting on a 12.5 acre lot at the corner of 69th and Wentworth, this facility will house the offices for 2FM’s administrative staff, workshops, and essential city employees and services that are responsible for the repair and maintenance of a variety of city equipment, according to a press release from the office of the Mayor of Chicago.

“The relocated facility will not only save the City operational costs, but also provide 2FM with a new state-of-the-art location that will meet the needs of our operations so we can better serve the citizens of Chicago,” said David Reynolds, commissioner for 2FM.

This investment in Englewood comes after a long sought-after commitment from the Mayor to revitalize the community. The Mayor has said that he is committed to investing in the neighborhood and often points to the Whole Foods Market at 63rd and Halsted as being a prime example of that commitment.

The Whole Foods Market has indeed become an essential part of Englewood, which had very limited options for healthy food in the past, and has created an anchor for further development in the area.

In addition to supporting the construction of the Whole Foods Market, the City has invested over $1.25 million in small business development to further stabilize the area as a thriving retail zone, according to a press release from the office of the Mayor of Chicago.

Public investment projects like the new 2FM headquarters or a new school or library often lead to increased private investments in that same area, according to Alderman Sawyer.

“As you have capital development projects like this, smart businessmen follow,” said Sawyer. Private investments typically follow public investments because business owners know that where there are 200 people making a decent wage, there will also be 200 people that need a place to eat and a place to shop, Sawyer continued.

“As we build these types of public capital investments, private investments will follow. As we talk about these things and we work to try and improve our communities, these are the cornerstones that help us build our neighborhoods,” Sawyer said.

Looking toward the future, the Englewood neighborhood should continue to reap the benefits of public investments through an additional $380 million being put towards CTA improvements, over $40 million being utilized for roadways in the community, and upwards of $200 million for new water and sewer mains, according to a press release from the office of the Mayor of Chicago.

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