Hilco Redevelopment Settles for $12.25M in Lawsuit Over Botched Smokestack Demolition

The 2020 incident resulted in a dust cloud over Little Village, affecting residents' health and property values.

Hilco Redevelopment has agreed to pay $12.25 million in a proposed class-action lawsuit settlement related to the botched implosion of a coal power plant in 2020 that coated the Little Village area in dust.
The lawsuit was brought by residents who experienced difficulty breathing and a reduction in property value due to the dust cloud.
As many as 80,000 people may be eligible for injury payments up to $500, and residents who were affected must submit a claim by March 26.
The demolition was part of Hilco's redevelopment of the area into a warehouse now leased to retailer Target, which has been a contentious issue in the Little Village community.
The government oversight of the implosion was investigated by Chicago’s inspector general who accused city officials of negligence and incompetence, but no city officials were fired.