| Summary |
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Total Acreage: 274 Acres
Closed: July 1999 |
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History
The O’Hare ARS site was a small farming community called Orchard Place, which had been settled by German immigrants and New England pioneers in the 1840s and developed into a railroad stop in 1887. Initially called Orchard Place Airport, O’Hare ARS was activated in October 1942 when the government acquired a number of tracts of farm land. The War Assets Corporation erected buildings on this land and leased it in June 1943, to Douglas Aircraft Company as an assembly plant for the C-54 cargo aircraft. The plant was closed in the fall of 1945.
In 1946, the site was reactivated as a military installation when the 803rd Army Air Force Reserve Specialized Depot assumed control of the site.
O’Hare ARS was added to the approved closure list as part of the 1995 round of Base Realignment and Closure. As part of the transition for closure of the base, the 928th Air Lift Wing was deactivated in 1997 and the 126th Air Refueling Wing was designated as the host unit. The 126th ARW maintained operations at the O'Hare ARS and continued to serve as the base supervisory unit until closure of the base in July 1999.
Environmental Activities
The Air Force has invested approximately $10.5 million on cleanup actions at the former installation as of 2023 and the cost to complete cleanup is another $34.8 million. Of the 48 sites at O’Hare ARS, 24 have achieved site closeout, 23 have achieved response complete with land use controls, and the remaining site is being investigated to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A preliminary assessment and site investigation have already been conducted for PFAS and a remedial investigation is forthcoming.
Property Transfer
In 2005, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center successfully completed whole base transfer with all 274 acres transferred to the City of Chicago. The former Air Station, now part of O’Hare International Airport, has been transformed into various airport support facilities and current runway extensions are expanding into the former ARS property. Current land use is industrial and commercial.