A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
Mayor Brandon Johnson Wednesday tapped one of the city officials Chicago’s watchdog said could have prevented a plume of dust from enveloping Little Village in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — but did not act — to lead the city’s Department of Buildings.
Johnson nominated Marlene Hopkins to permanently replace former Buildings Commissioner Matthew Beaudet, whom Johnson fired last month. Hopkins’ nomination must be confirmed by the Chicago City Council.
“Marlene Hopkins is a proven leader whose dedication to public service and visionary approach to city development have been invaluable to Chicago,” Johnson said in a statement that praised “her extensive experience and commitment to collaboration.”
Hopkins was the top official from the city’s Buildings Department charged with overseeing the implosion of the smokestack at the former Crawford Power Plant in Little Village. Hopkins has been promoted twice under two different mayors since the botched implosion on April 11, 2020.
Hopkins did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WTTW News, but said in a statement that she is “honored to take on this role and to continue serving the people of Chicago in a new capacity.”
The statement from the mayor’s office did not address her role in the botched smokestack implosion.
Ald. Mike Rodriguez, whose 22nd Ward includes Little Village, told WTTW News he was undecided on whether to support Hopkins’ nomination. Rodriguez is a close ally of Johnson, but has been highly critical of efforts to hold city officials responsible for their conduct surrounding the botched implosion.
During the 2023 campaign for mayor, Johnson blasted the conduct of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration and accused them of displaying “blatant disregard for Chicagoans’ lives.”
Kim Wasserman, executive director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WTTW News.
Former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson determined city officials put Little Village residents at risk when the city allowed the smokestack demolition to proceed based on a permit issued in July 2018 that did not mention the use of explosives.
At the same time, other officials did not do enough to ensure the implosion did not cause a massive dust storm while others brushed off or downplayed concerns about whether the demolition should take place a month after the COVID-19 pandemic swept Chicago, according to the full report first obtained by WTTW News.
Top officials appointed by Lightfoot rejected Ferguson’s recommendation to punish Hopkins, who was responsible for approving and overseeing the implosion of the smokestack.
Hopkins, who has worked for the city for more than 25 years, faced no discipline. As the first deputy commissioner for the Department of Buildings, Hopkins earns $175,000 annually, according to the city’s database.
The former Crawford Power Plant is now a warehouse leased by Target.
The inspector general’s probe found Hilco at fault for failing to ensure that the implosion did not endanger the health of the public and faulted officials for not taking steps to ensure a plan to protect the surrounding neighborhood was in place and would be followed.
In addition, city officials did not do enough to ensure that those who lived near the former power plant were informed about the planned implosion with enough time to object or take steps to protect themselves or their families, according to the full report.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
