Plans for the new Green Line station have just been released by the city and CTA according to Chicago Curbed. The new station will be located at the intersection of Lake and Damen on the city's Near West Side. The CTA facility will envelope a one mile gap in service between the current Green Line Stations at California and Ashland and will offer new opportunities to nearby residents and businesses along the Kinzie Industrial Corridor.
The global architecture firm of Perkins + Will are going to design the building. Their portfolio includes the Northtown Branch Library in West Ridge, the Simpson Querry Biomedical Research Center in Streeeterville and the 14 acre Riverline/South Bank mega project in Chicago's South Loop.
Through it's transparent facade, the grand staircase and escalator are easily visible. A glass elevated bridge will top the building connecting the inbound and outbound train platforms and providing riders with views of Chicago's downtown skyline. The bright green accents reflect the CTA line it serves and the exposed steel trusses allude to Chicago's bridges. The platform is part of a larger Lake Street reconstruction that has been going on between Damen to Ashland Avenues since April. New street lights, traffic signals, landscaping and increased clearance below the L are some of the improvements being completed.
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Construction on the Perkins + Will designed station isn't expected to start until later this year with work on the foundation. Building of the actual station house structure is expected to begin in the spring of 2019 with an opening date of 2020.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel stated in a press release that funding for the construction will be coming from state sources and the Kinzie Industrial Corridor tax increment financing district.
"This new state of the art, multi-modal transit station puts the ease of the passenger experience at the core of its design and will allow users to seamlessly connect with buses, or to use bikes or walk to nearby destinations. It will support local neighborhood growth as well as have the capacity to serve large crowds attending events at the United Center."
Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner | Rebekah Scheinfeld
This will be the fourth new CTA station opened since Mayor Emanuel took office in 2011. The Morgan station opened in 2012, the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line station opened in 2015 and the Washington-Wabash station in the Loop opened in 2017.
According to Transit Chicago, local Alderman Walter Burnett said "I am very pleased with the new design that will create a station our residents can be proud of and also allow for future growth in our community."
This project is the latest of an $8 billion transit investment, completed or currently ongoing by Mayor Emanuel and CTA since 2011 and includes more than 40 stations rebuilt or rehabbed. CTA President Carter said "Investment in new and improved CTA stations has paid great dividends for communities across the City and that will be especially true here at Damen. This new station will provide a new convenient and affordable transportation option and will make it easier to get to and from work, school and other destinations. And like other new stations we've recently opened, such as those at Wilson and 95th Street, this new station will make a significant and lasting architectural statement and become a new community landmark."
