As nearly 11,000 migrants are currently in shelters across Chicago with nearly 4,000 awaiting placement, new shelters are opening in the city's West Loop neighborhood.
The Mayor's Office said they are opening new shelters every six days to keep up with the increasing demand.
On Wednesday, West Loop residents learned about two new shelters opening in their neighborhood.
One is an office space located at 30 North Racine Avenue, while the other is a building in the heart of the West Loop at 939 W Lake St.
The Lake Street location already began housing migrants on Tuesday. NBC Chicago's cameras captured male migrants leaving and entering the facility. A sign on the door says media is not allowed to enter.
“I don’t know what all I can do about it, but at the same time we need to see how we can make this work," said 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett. “In our neighborhood, so far everyone has been very welcoming, but you do have people who are concerned, and I have to see how it will affect the people in those specific areas where it’s going to be.”
The City currently has shelters in 19 out of 50 wards. The 27th Ward, home to the West Loop, has the most.
Local
Residents spoke about those concerns at a public meeting Wednesday night.
“Look at some of the large neighborhoods, South Loop, The Loop, Lincoln Park, Streeterville, River North, they have one, maybe two. We have five," one resident said. "Is there a cap? Can we slow that number down?”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
A spokesperson for the Department of Family Support Services said they cannot commit to capping that number, and says the city will evaluate every property brought to their attention.
Mayor's Office Deputy Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas says they need properties that are renovated and nearly turn-key ready. She says a lot of those buildings happen to be in the West Loop. The city has a website to recommend shelter locations found here.
“I would also talk with your friends, with other Alders that don’t have shelters in their Ward to see what can be offered so again we can share the responsibility," she responded.
Community members said they are concerned developers who want their spaces rented will offer up all of their spaces. The two new shelters in the West Loop are both developed by Peppercorn Capital, which owns several other West Loop buildings.
Others shared their support at Wednesday's meeting.
"We live in an incredibly booming prosperous part of city, the least that we can do is be generous with our space," one resident said.
While Ald. Burnett isn't necessarily opposed to more shelters coming to the West Loop, he is concerned about their proximity to the United Center, a site for the Democratic National Convention next year.
"I’m concerned about the longevity of it and how long it’s going to last, how it’s going to reflect on the City of Chicago going forward," he said. "I don’t know if this is an effort to get the federal government to do more."
It's unclear when the migrant shelter on Racine Avenue will open, but city leaders say it will house families with children.
