A potential new timeline has been announced for the upcoming Englewood Nature Trail cutting through Englewood. Originally announced over four years ago, the rails-to-trails project would replace the former elevated tracks of the Norfolk Southern Railway that cut through the neighborhood. Efforts are being led by local nonprofit Grow Greater Englewood and the city.
Site plan of Englewood Nature Trail by Gensler
Back in 2022, Grow Greater Englewood received $6 million to begin feasibility studies, along with basic master planning and design. Since then, the team has hosted various community meetings to help guide what will be the centerpiece of a new Englewood Agro-Eco district, serving as a connector between the area’s growing network of urban farms.
Site plan of Englewood Nature Trail by Gensler
The park will span 1.8 miles from South Damen Avenue to the west and South Halsted Street to the east. The trail would cross over 26 bridges and vary from 11 to 29 feet in width; this will allow for various types of activations, from sculptures to seating. The trail will have 11 access points, all of which will be ADA-accessible.
Cut section of Englewood Nature Trail by Gensler
Initial prep work for the project will include soil remediation, grading, and structural repairs to many of the existing viaducts. This will affect some of the over 1,400 trees that have grown on the trail, as well as the removal of many murals below the bridges, with the team working to restore as many as possible.
Rendering of Englewood Nature Trail by Gensler
The $80 million project has received $20 million in funding in the form of grants, with speculation of breaking ground later this year. However, the plans now call for extensive construction to kick off in 2027, with a 2029 completion. The project would join others like the 606 and the nation’s first rails-to-trails project, the Illinois Prairie Path in the suburbs.
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80 Million Dollars for a Walk In The Park!!!?
it’s about as much as the cost of the bloomingdale trail
Rememberthe first estimate for the 606 came in at ~ $30M
That is really not very expensive for a infrastructure project of this scope
The 606 Bloomingdale Trail cost $95 million for a 2.7 mile trail. You have no idea of construction costs.
Honestly, that’s a decent number per mile given inflation from the past 11-12 years.
Do ya need a reminder on the Red Line extension price tag?
Literally a drop in the bucket for comparison. I’d also rather them have more than $10 million to repair 26 bridges. The singular CTA station is getting $400 million in upgrades. For a mile shorter, the High Line in NYC was $230 million. The 606 Trail at 2.7 miles was $95 million. All relatively reasonable.
Lake Shore Dr. is looking at $3.4-4 billion to rebuild that S-curve and an additional 7 miles of road infrastructure.
Awesome project, south side deserves a 606!
Fantastic! Hopefully, it is received well and enhances nature and the community.
I hope they provide good pike/ped connections to regional transit stations. It’s close, but not adjacent to several.
This is a great investment for this area, and the city in general. If it can do anything like it did by the 606, it would be a huge win. So much potential in the area. Starting only a mile or so from the University of Chicago and a couple of miles from the Obama Library can also have a big impact. So many empty lots that can be filled in for cheap. Let’s start this.
Chicago needs some grants from elon musk to built supertall skyscrapers and fix roads and bridges help us Mr.musk
We use to have Ken Griffin to count on for bike trails. Illinois chased him away
Good. Follow him.
💯
Boo hoo – chased him away with what – property taxes? How much $ did he waste flattering his ego getting a museum named after him?
Why do you have a problem with someone who donated big money putting their name on a building. The results the public benifts
So happy to see this moving forward. There’s a lot of greenery and natural beauty in this area and I can’t wait to visit when it’s done.
This was a heavy industrial corridor that left very serious contamination. The railroad and all the factory owners walked away and left taxpayers to clean up the mess. It’s very, very expensive to remediate heavy metals.