The Illegal Junkyard Operating On City Property For A Decade

Corroded cars, broken-down trucks and dusty motorcycles have piled up on two lots in Englewood.

For years, families have been forced to live next to the collection of mangled vehicles and junk. Still, no one has taken responsibility for the junkyard on the 7100 block of South Normal Boulevard.

Public records identify a North Side man as the agent of a company that owns one of the junkyard lots, but he said he doesn’t own it anymore and won’t answer questions about it.

And the other lot is owned by the city itself.

Reporter - Atavia Reed

Host - Jon Hansen

Read More Here

Today's Sponsor - Women Employed

Find out more about The Working Lunch Thursday, May 22, 2025 HERE

Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HERE

Who we are

Block Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.

We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.

Ground-level coverage

Our neighborhood-based reporters don't parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. We believe this  ground-level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a  neighborhood.

Stories that matter to you — every day

Since our launch five years ago, we've published more than 25,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 130,000 Chicagoans. 

We've built this loyalty by proving to folks we are not only covering their neighborhoods, we are a part of them. 

Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.