The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has recently initiated a public outreach campaign to reimagine the newly opened spaces beneath the elevated Red and Purple Line tracks, stretching for more than a mile between the Lawrence and Bryn Mawr stations. These areas, released by the demolition of the historic embankment wall, present a unique chance for community activation and beautification as part of the Red & Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One Project.
Seeking to directly involve residents and stakeholders in the planning process, the CTA plans to wholly engage the neighborhoods of Edgewater and Uptown. Centered around transforming this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity into tangible community assets, the CTA will begin to decisively hold a series of public meetings starting January 10 and 11, 2024, as reported by the CTA. Collaborating with Site Design Group, an award-winning landscape architecture firm, the CTA aims to develop detailed block-by-block plans for the open spaces.
CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr., emphasized the importance of community input on the future of the spaces: "We want to hear from the community on they would like to see to create useful and appealing community spaces for residents and customers to enjoy," he stated, pointing to the potential for amenities like additional parking and open-air community expanses. The feedback garnered from these interactive sessions is expected to shape a community-focused vision, as highlighted in a CTA release.
A cooperative framework has indeed been laid for this initiative to succeed, with organizations such as the Uptown United/Uptown Chamber of Commerce and the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce set to join the conversations. Interested parties are encouraged to attend the upcoming meetings, slated to take place at Saint Ita Catholic Church and Truman College, respectively, with registration available online. Following the initial rounds of public input, additional meetings in the spring and summer of 2024 will further consolidate community ideas into final concepts, aiming to smoothly incorporate them into the urban fabric.
Construction of the RPM Phase One is steadily progressing, with the reconstruction of southbound tracks and the building of four new, accessible Red Line stations on the horizon. Demolition of the embankment wall, a symbol of the broader modernization effort, is expected to reach completion early next year, setting the stage for this transformative project to not only enhance transportation infrastructure but also to enliven the neighborhoods it serves, as documented by the CTA.
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