Quick Question about Englewood. (Chicago, Lee: school, college, maintenance)

[epluribusunumjk]

I was driving through Englewood the other day on my way to the Dan Ryan, and I made a wrong turn trying to get to 94. I don't remember what street I turned down, but it was two or three blocks past Halsted and 63rd.

In any case, I drove down the street and under this tunnel that was part of some abandoned building. Does anyone know what that building was used for? It looked like a hospital or something, because it was really massive. And, it just freaked me out because it looked like it has been abandoned for 20+ years and I had to through it.

Thanks for the help!

[ajolotl]

Are you sure you weren't at the old KKC campus? It's easy to end up there if you get off the Dan Ryan and are trying to get back on, but it's a few blocks south of where you think you were.

Originally Posted by epluribusunumjk

I was driving through Englewood the other day on my way to the Dan Ryan, and I made a wrong turn trying to get to 94. I don't remember what street I turned down, but it was two or three blocks past Halsted and 63rd.

In any case, I drove down the street and under this tunnel that was part of some abandoned building. Does anyone know what that building was used for? It looked like a hospital or something, because it was really massive. And, it just freaked me out because it looked like it has been abandoned for 20+ years and I had to through it.

Thanks for the help!

[epluribusunumjk]

Yeah, you are right!

I looked up pictures online and found the building - I must have been on Wentworth Avenue then.

Come to thing of it, I did head a little bit S. off of 63rd trying to get to the highway. I think that I must have passed under it at that point.

Would love to go back there and snap a few pictures. It looked like a pretty cool place.

[Intergalactic]

Check this link about the doomed campus:
Lee Bey: The Urban Observer: School's Out for Old Kennedy-King College Campus

Lots of pics.

[Costa Rica Chica]

Originally Posted by epluribusunumjk

I was driving through Englewood the other day on my way to the Dan Ryan, and I made a wrong turn trying to get to 94. I don't remember what street I turned down, but it was two or three blocks past Halsted and 63rd.

In any case, I drove down the street and under this tunnel that was part of some abandoned building. Does anyone know what that building was used for? It looked like a hospital or something, because it was really massive. And, it just freaked me out because it looked like it has been abandoned for 20+ years and I had to through it.

Thanks for the help!

Did you go in? I'm a shameless fan of those ghost hunter shows, even though I don't really believe in ghosts - it's fun to be freaked out.

[lenniel]

I would be very careful going into any abandoned buildings in that area. They are most likely inhabited by homeless or drug addicts and also used by hookers. I don't think they'd take to kindly to folks snooping around the place.

[PokerPlayer1]

Originally Posted by lenniel

I would be very careful going into any abandoned buildings in that area. They are most likely inhabited by homeless or drug addicts and also used by hookers.

The first thing that came into my mind too... "While exploring an abandoned building complex in one of Chicagos worst areas..." sounds like the opening tagline to a Darwin Award contest entry.

[mel2000]

I didn't even know Kennedy-King College was abandoned for a new site. What a sad case of poor planning and a massive waste of taxpayer funds. It would be better to tear the whole shade-robbing concrete monstrosity down and replace it with a low maintenance park. I don't even want to think of what uses the riff-raff are making of it.

[surlycue]

Originally Posted by mel2000

I didn't even know Kennedy-King College was abandoned for a new site. What a sad case of poor planning and a massive waste of taxpayer funds. It would be better to tear the whole shade-robbing concrete monstrosity down and replace it with a low maintenance park. I don't even want to think of what uses the riff-raff are making of it.

There's a great bauhaus building on that campus that I wish they would preserve but it looks like the city is probably waiting on October's IOC confirmation in order to use the land for part of it's olympic village.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by surlycue

There's a great bauhaus building on that campus that I wish they would preserve but it looks like the city is probably waiting on October's IOC confirmation in order to use the land for part of it's olympic village.

You're thinking of the Michael Reese Hospital campus. There are no plans to use the KK campus as partvof the Olympic Village.