Additional funding has been granted for the upcoming Bronzeville Trail project across two-miles of old rail tracks on the Southside. Last time we covered the project was in 2022 when initial renderings were revealed, however it has been in development for nearly two-decades now. Efforts for the rail-to-trail conversion are being led by the Bronzeville Trail Task Force (BTTF).
Site maps of the Bronzeville Trail via the Bronzeville Trail Task Force
The two mile trail is currently set to cost around $100 million to build, similar to the cost of the 2.6-mile long 606 trail in Wicker Park which opened in 2015, according to Block Club. Currently the Task Force has managed to collect around $425,000 towards the project. Contributing to that will be a $900,000 grant just announced by New York-based Mellon Foundation.
Image of current embankment conditions via the Bronzeville Trail Task Force
This will all go towards the continued design and research efforts being led by landscape design firm Botanical City. The trail itself will replace tracks that once belonged to the Kenwood branch of the CTA that was shut down in 1957. Its start would be at the intersection of E 40th Street and S Dearborn Street to the east and stretch to E 41st Street and S Lake Park Avenue to the west.
41st Street bridge via TransSystems
With one small interruption for an existing housing development, the walking, biking, and jogging trail would terminate one block away from the 41st Street pedestrian bridge to the lake. It would serve as a new east-west connector for the neighborhood while the BTTF also hopes it will become a development catalyst for the area similar to The 606.
In order to get the trail closer to construction, the city and county will pitch in $5.5 million in funding as well, though a formal timeline is still being determined based on fundraising efforts.
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Dearborn is west of State Street as well as Lake Park, Lake Park runs by the lake and is not west of State St.
This is beautiful! It’s my hope the City and County can make budget amendments in the First Quarter of 2025 to demonstrate an immediate sense of care. Utilization of summer teens via One Summer Chicago can help introduce regional youth and families to the potentially of the Trail. Thank you Mello Foundation and possibly CDOT for adding the Trail to your project list for Federal “Call for Projects” through CMAP as part of FY 2026-2028 programming.
I’m so torn.
I think this is wonderful and should be built, yet that rail line should still be there and in use.
Seems like it couldn’t be anymore anyway because of that one housing development that stands in the way of a continuous trail.
Does any land need adjacent to the trail need to be purchased for addition of entrance/exit ramps?
Will Dr. Siddha Webber’s mural (appearing in one of the photos) be preserved?