It's great to see one of the two Target stores that closed earlier this year will soon find a new use:
Blue Cross has leased a nearly 130,000-square-foot space that formerly housed a Target at 119th Street and Marshfield Avenue in Morgan Park, the health insurance company announced Monday.
Part of the facility will be offices for Blue Cross workers, and part of it will be used to help people in the community — and not just those with Blue Cross health insurance — such as by offering free yoga or nutrition classes.
The new center is expected to open in the first half of next year.
“It makes us more accessible to our employees who live across Chicagoland and Cook County,” said Jill Wolowitz, vice president of government relations and community affairs at the health insurer. “It makes us more visible and accessible to our members who live throughout Chicago, and we’re looking forward to providing some economic stimulus in a significant South Side neighborhood.”
Most of the 550 jobs will be new ones, but the company is still working out what type of jobs will be included, Wolowitz said.
The company plans to recruit for many of those new jobs from the surrounding communities, through job fairs and other local opportunities, she said.
