Permit Issued To Renovate Thompson Center CTA Station

Thompson Center CTA station alterations permittedThe Clark/Lake elevated platform in The Loop. Photo by Daniel Schell

A permit was issued by the City of Chicago on March 21 to allow Clark Construction to begin interior alterations to the CTA Station inside the Thompson Center in The Loop. Renovations are permitted for all three levels of the station, including the concourse, ground floor, and upper level. JAHN drew up the plans, as they did for the Thompson Center and its current overhaul for Google. The permit shows a reported construction cost estimate of $35 million.

The permit is addressed as 194 North Clark Street; this is the Clark/Lake elevated station, which serves as a stop for Orange, Purple, Pink, Brown, and Green Line trains on the upper level, and the Blue Line in the subway.

Thompson Center CTA station alteration permitted

Stairway rendering in the Thompson Center CTA station via JAHN

Thompson Center CTA station alteration permitted

Thompson Center CTA station rendering via JAHN

Thompson Center CTA station alteration permitted

Thompson Center CTA station rendering via JAHN

The big change in the alteration plan is to relocate the station’s main entrance from its current position under the elevated tracks on Lake Street to the northeast corner of the Thompson Center, at Clark and Lake.

Thompson Center CTA station alterations permitted

Thompson Center CTA station interior, upper level.. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center CTA station alterations permitted

Thompson Center CTA station interior, street level. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center CTA station alterations permitted

Thompson Center CTA station interior, concourse level. Photo by Daniel Schell

There’s also a Windows Update to report, as The Prime Group continues renovation of the Thompson Center ahead of turning it over to Google for use as its Chicago headquarters. Crews were installing new triple-pane panels during the afternoon of March 26 in the photos below.

Thompson Center glazing update

Getting ready to install the next triple-pane glass panel above LaSalle Street. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

Southwest corner of the Thompson Center, at LaSalle and Randolph. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

LaSalle and Randolph. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

Lake and LaSalle. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

From the Clark/lake platform. Photo by Daniel Schell

Thompson Center glazing update

Looking west on Lake Street from the Clark/Lake platform. Photo by Daniel Schell

Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail

Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews

.

5 Comments on "Permit Issued To Renovate Thompson Center CTA Station"

  1. Renovating a cta platform where they are soon going to be downsizing service by 40% is ludicrous. All due to bad budgeting.

    • First of all, the CTA must continue to make the system better. But my second thought, this was most likely approved before anyone knew this fiscal cliff was coming…

      Mistakes are what it is to be human and the CTA is complex, especially in the US with one party openly hostile to the concept of any US city having modern, safe, well-funded public transit.

    • Your broad nonfactual generalization makes no sense. Need not to say more.

  2. ChicagoArchitectureFan | March 28, 2025 at 9:36 am | Reply

    Thanks for the updates on this transformation. I can’t wait to see what the final outcome looks like!

  3. Windows Update, clever 😛

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*