Odorous Window Replacement Near Midway to Start in Early 2027: 225 Homes in Phase One, 959 Across Four Phases
The long-awaited replacement of odorous windows in homes near Chicago's Midway Airport now has a schedule. Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray told a City Council Budget and Finance Committee hearing on October 27 that construction on the first phase will begin in the first quarter of 2027.
The windows were installed under the department's Residential Sound Insulation Program, which has fitted sound-blocking windows in homes around Midway and O'Hare airports since 1995. The department has confirmed odor problems in more than 2,400 homes that received program windows and doors; testing found the burnt-plastic smell comes mainly from the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating on the windows' insect screens. About 2,294 homes have been approved by the program's advisory council for mitigation.
Under the department's phased plan, Phase One covers 225 homes, with a construction contract awarded in May of this year and work expected to start early in 2027. Phase Two covers 242 homes; bids were advertised in September 2026, with an award expected early in 2027 and construction in fall 2027. Phase Three covers another 242 homes and Phase Four 250 homes, for 959 homes across the four phases.
Alderman Marty Quinn pressed McMurray at the hearing, saying the work has dragged on too long and asking the city to give residents information on all four phases. McMurray agreed and confirmed the pace would be a little over 200 homes a year.
(Source: Greater Southwest News-Herald)
Source: Greater Southwest News-Herald
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：芝加哥中途机场跑道端安全区。formulanone from Huntsville, United States 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The runway-end safety area (EMAS) at Chicago Midway Airport. By formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
