Demolition Begins on ‘Blues Brothers' Mall

A well-known “Blues Brothers” film location is going down after 30-plus years.

To help with the demolition of the former Dixie Square Mall and ultimately prep the long-unused space for broader economic development, the state provided $4 million in disaster recovery funding, Gov. Pat Quinn announced Wednesday.

“Although we will always remember the Dixie Mall as the location for one of the most iconic scenes in ‘The Blues Brothers’ movie," Quinn said, "it is time for this now vacant building to be torn down to make way for more economic development for the Harvey community.”

Future projects could include retail or light industrial, Quinn said, or even housing on the land or nearby. The clean-up and demolition is expected to be completed by late summer 2012.

The city of Harvey recently condemned the building because of health and safety concerns over the stability of the structure and the presence of asbestos. The money will be used to assist with the clean-up, demolition and asbestos removal.

The project is expected to support a total of 42 jobs, including 18 newly-created full-time jobs, Quinn said. 

“The city of Harvey and the state can finally move forward with plans for economic development of the site and surrounding area,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Warren Ribley.            
 

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