UIC Police Station fills iconic role amid booming Chicago film industry

UIC Police Station

The Illinois filming industry is booming, leading the UIC Police Station to answer some major casting calls.

Located at 943 W. Maxwell St., the station is famous for stealing the spotlight since the 1980s, when the site first appeared on “Hill Street Blues.”

In recent filming seasons, the UIC Police Station has been a regular filming location for NBC’s “Chicago PD,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago Fire,” along with Showtime’s “The Chi” and the Netflix series “Easy.” Productions of these shows also have contributed to what the Chicago Film Office announced was a “groundbreaking” year for film and media in the city.

So why has this UIC location gotten so much attention?

“The building is a landmark in Chicago that actually looks like the historical, iconic and typical police station from back in the day,” said Police Chief Kevin Booker, describing its exterior and the station’s unique features that have been kept intact, such as the building’s windows and the lobby area, even after some modernization.

Scouts have also shown interest in the station’s offices, parking lot and dispatch center. Much more of the building is available for access — and the location offers flexible hours for production, too.

“We’ve even looked at using the locker rooms for a scene,” said Miguel Alba, director of the UIC Campus Film Office. “We work to fulfill the needs of film production crews, and we welcome all location managers and production offices to swing by and check out what we have.”

That applies to every filming location on campus, including lecture halls, labs, green spaces and more. Clips highlighting spaces across campus are available online. The videos are one of the many resources made possible by the university that make filming at UIC easy.

“We want to be known as Chicago’s most film-friendly campus,” Alba said.

Just this past year, the Campus Film Office invited production houses, advertising agencies, location managers and others from the film industry to learn more about the full extent of support the university provides for everything from location scouting and facility rentals to contracting and filming logistics.

“We’re here, and we’re interested in helping with any filming production needs,” Alba said.

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