National Guard Armory

The National Guard Armory, located in Chicago, Illinois, is owned by the State of Illinois. Between 1942 and 1951, the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) leased the building and used it to store and process uranium metal and as the central procurement and shipping location for the MED Metallurgical Laboratory. In 1951, MED’s successor, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, terminated use of the building and the property was returned to the State of Illinois.

Radiological characterizations of the Armory in 1977, 1978, and 1987 indicated that residual radioactive material contamination exceeded DOE guidelines. In 1987 and 1988, DOE removed contaminated waste from interior building surfaces and exterior catch basins and soils. DOE certified that the site complied with applicable cleanup criteria and released the property for unrestricted use in 1989.