Details have been revealed for the upcoming redevelopment of the over mile-long space underneath the new tracks of the Red and Purple Line across the north side. The plans come just over a year since the CTA held its first neighborhood meeting requesting input from neighbors on what they’d like to see.
Site context map for the new space via Google Maps
Rendering of block between Ainslie to Lawrence by Site Design Group
The new collection of public spaces will run under and adjacent to the new tracks as an old embankment wall is demolished, this will stretch from W Lawrence Avenue on the south to W Ardmore Avenue in the north. The project is being designed by Site Design Group, see below for a block-by-block rundown from south to north:
Lawrence to Ainslie: Parking spaces, a dog park, and the start of the walking path traversing the length of the project.
Ainslie to Argyle: Walking space and a new playground.
Argyle to Winona: Additional parking and walking areas.
Winona to Foster: Additional parking and walking areas.
Foster to Berwyn: Additional parking and walking areas.
Berwyn to Balmoral: Gathering space with planters, benches, and space to be used for local events like farmers markets.
Balmoral to Catalpa: A large fitness area with rubber flooring.
Catalpa to Bryn Mawr: A second dog park and walking areas.
Bryn Mawr to Hollywood: Additional walking areas.
Hollywood to Ardmore: End of walking path with a plaza for events.
Rendering of block between Berwyn and Balmoral by Site Design Group
Rendering of block between Catalpa to Bryn Mawr by Site Design Group
For all of the blocks with parking, the spaces will be located along the west side of the tracks in order to curb traffic into the existing residential alleys on the east. The spaces were designed with all seasons in mind and the CTA hopes to partner with local businesses and organizations for events to activate the spaces.
Rendering of block between Catalpa to Bryn Mawr by Site Design Group
Rendering of block between Ainslie to Lawrence by Site Design Group
Construction is set to commence in 2026 as the $2 billion Red Purple Modernization (RPM) project wraps up work. The same contractors from RPM, Walsh-Flour, will also build out the public spaces which are expected to open in 2027. More information and additional renderings can be found on the CTA’s press release here.
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Good luck with that…. I commend them for trying to beautify and enliven what may be a sketchy, underutilized space. I hope they put in as much greenery as possible and beautiful lighting. That will really help glamorize and soften the spaces. I also hope they patrol the heck out of it to prevent vandalism and homeless people from ruining it.
Those are lovely ideas, but if the space is managed like the rest of the CTA, it might become a nuisance for the adjoining neighborhoods. And yes, these spots will make great spaces for homeless encampments and places for gang bangers to hang out.
We all want open space and parks for the community. This project has some serious issues. At this point, CTA has not given any details on who manages, operates, maintains, secures, programs, etc. this space. They stated that the same security that is on their trains and stations will be in this park. I hope they know there is NO security on the trains and in stations. Last time I took the red line the stations down in the loop smelled like urine, trash was laying around and everything was dirty. Who is going to pick up all this dog poop and wash the ground/gravel from dog urine? Who will secure it at night when it will feel pretty sketchy and you only have the alley to run away? Who pays to fix the fences and benches when they break? Will this come back to the local residents to pay from our taxes? Will this be a burden of our local Ward office?
We all need to ask “Can the CTA actually manage a public park”?
As for the design, I’d say this is a failure. The community should look at the floor plan designs and ideas that Site Design Group showed us at the public meetings and compare. The community gave input on all these great ideas. However, all of those great ideas, including use-of-color, art, paving, unique lighting, plantings, furniture are all gone. Why ask the community for feedback, if the CTA won’t incorporate or can’t afford it? Don’t show us things and then not deliver. This design as shown in these renderings will not be a destination anyone will want to be in. Specifically, look at the “plaza” north of the Bryn Mawr CTA Stop (Block 9). It is very dark, void of anything. The designers show leaves on the ground for interest? Seriously, what will this space be like at night? This is a failure! How is this good use of our tax dollars?
This will never be a proud place that Chicago will put in Choose Chicago as a unique place to visit, like The 606 or Floating Island. I am skeptical my neighbors will want to use this, expect if you have a big dog as shown in the renderings. We deserve more from our city.
Be careful what you say Todd, they will attack you and call you a liar. Look at the post of the church from yesterday. About 40 comments and all attacking a woman for giving her opinion.
So true. Every CTA station is filthy, covered in salt and grime. The actual cars are mobile homeless shelters filled with weed smokers. So this rendering of the underside of the tracks looking like a snow-white hospital corridor is a major laugh. Where are the taggers and overflowing trash cans?
You have a right to speak your opinion and you’re probably familiar with the area so you know what goes on in the area as does a few of these people commenting like Todd. But that’s not what this company/ builders want to hear. If you look at the post from yesterday, with the church, there must be 40+ comments and not very nice.
A robbers’ and pickpockets’ paradise. Lol
Pickpockets? Really? What a hoot!!!
I have doubts but I would be excited to see them try it out somewhere, if they do some temporary prototype or something to see how well it works, and get input from the community
The truth is we get what we pay for. Everyone has champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but when it comes to paying for it, there are crickets. The CTA does need to do more to make trains and buses safe, reliable, and more consistent, but even that will take better organization and funding. Right now the CTA, Metra, and Pace are facing a funding cliff after the Covid funds disappear. It might be worse once the current federal administration is finished cutting transit funding.
Those lovely images showed to residents previously may have been with the thinking that we would still have a federal government that cared about transit. We don’t even pay full freight when it comes to roads with the gas tax.
Maybe they should all combine to leverage state funding for the entire region rather than fight over scraps in individual fiefdoms. Maybe some of that land could be sold for development like they do in Japan to help fund improvements. That could be a first step to create an efficient world class system that people would enjoy using.
Those Renderings look Completely Amateurish, and make the projected sites look cheap and hodge podgy…. With cheap, ill conceived materials, and what look like Really Boring Spaces.
That being said……
The REALLY BIG THING this project has to contend with, besides Crime, Vandalism, and Dirt Deterrence, is that we are at a LATITUDE where we Need Access to as much SUNLIGHT As We Can Get, for Roughly 4 to 5 Months out of the year.
The Entire Length of the recreation sites will be COVERED (except the Linear Open Spaces, down the middle and sides), while being a BOON in places like Sunny Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, and Southern California…… Is an ABSOLUTE CURSE, at THIS LATITUDE, that needs to be ADDRESSED by Landscape Architects that are Quite Familiar with This Problem, up in these here parts.
ANYONE, who can remember the Covered Walkways at UIC, or Under the Overpass, going down Western Ave, both of which were Completely Removed, can relate COMPLETELY to this….. They were Miserable Spaces, during the Loooooong Winter Months.
Maybe, well placed Reflective Materials, reflective mosaics, mirrors, stainless steel, etc could be utilized to Great Effect ?????
Also, couldn’t it be made to look more like a Flowing Linear Space, similar to the nicer parts of the 606 Trail and NYC High Line ? With much more of an emphasis on Vegetation, Shrubbery, Trees, Community Gardens, Flowing Curvilinear Earth Berms, Curvilinear Seating and Tables, Vendors, etc etc etc ???
Basically, Like Really Plugging In,
To The Linearity……… In Really Thoughtful Ways ???????
You do realize Chicago and the Midwest in general is mercilessly hot in summer and the sun is brutal right? You do also realize that people sometimes like night markets with string lights when the sun isn’t out?
Exactly,
The beach is a block or so away for those who wish to bask in the sun.
So, You’re Basically Ignoring the Fact that this City Is Cold, In The Shadows, for Roughly, Up To, 6 Months of the year ?
Gooooood Luck !!!!!!!!
Attracting Southern Transplants(which we Really Need, at this point) to Your Chicago, Under the Tracks, Paradise, if you’re going to Casually gloss over This Basic Climatic Fact. I grew up in Florida, and Missouri, btw, and have ALWAYS felt, This Basic Fact, living here.
Honestly, they’ll call you out, Almost Every. Damn. Day. for Almost Half. The. Year. Do you really want That ???
Tho……. of course, you might be Soooooo De~Sensitized to this, that you casually brush it off like it’s Not Even, a Major Discussion Point ?
C’Mon.
I think We All realize how Hot and Humid, it gets here for about 3 to 4 months, where The Shade is of course, Most Welcome…
I’m sure that the Sun Refractive Albedo levels could be dimmed, at that time….. Through various, mostly Passive, methodologies.
Get A Little More Real.
What do you want it to be a temporary ice skating rink in the winter? February sun is not going to help anyone seeking the outdoors here, my friend. Maybe throw in some fire pits but under the CTA that would be a huge hazard. Though an ice skating ribbon could be cute.
Southern transplants don’t come here for the Miami sun babe, they come here for job opportunities, and, get this, a lot of them actually like the winter snow and seasons. If it’s a non-starter for them we’ll just have to wait for global warming.
I’m not quite sure your posts aren’t being written by AI tbh
Btw,
Tho I was a little Harsh in my critique( Admittedly) of the renderings, that is mostly in regards to the actual Materials and Blaise Run of the Mill Designs of The Spaces. The renderings and the Thoughtful Placement of the People and Pets Engaging, the spaces, are Quite Well Done(tho demographically, Quite A Bit, Under Represented).
Keep At It, you got THE VIBES, going in the Right Directions………. ☝️
No Harms, No Fouls, No Guilts.
Does anyone in this comment section ride the CTA? Ever? I live by Wilson and I’ve yet to see a single tent under the tracks. You guys are delusional.
I hope this project is successful.
I agree with you. People are projecting the negative things they see on social media onto this project. I hope this works.
I do often wonder how many readers or commenters on YIMBY are actually from the neighborhoods where they have opinions. I’m certainly not one to believe that the only people who experience the effects of development are those who live adjacent to it. However, local knowledge does matter on some topics.
I’m honestly surprised how stirred-up people are over the CTA utilizing negative space under the tracks lolol. It’s not unsafe there, and even if it were, more people hanging out is only better for safety (eyes on the street effect). I also don’t understand the alternative? “If you don’t already have budget for police and poop patrols don’t even THINK of building us anything!” Like, what?? Paulina already has this, Southport has this, Western is building one. People are doing just fine there. This is just one more thing that’ll make Uptown amazing.
Build it, let them come, charge the vendors and organizers permits for security and cleanup. It’s hard to get “good infrastructure news” in this city lately I’ll take anything.
Right on.
<<>>
Park Güell
This could be an Amazing World Class Space…….
Something that would be experienced in Gaudi’s Barcelona, with a Twist of ZaHa Hadid
Mixed in with some Tokyo Level, Urban Amenities………..
And Russian Sensibilities.
No it couldn’t. The CTA doesn’t have Zaha Hadid money, not even private developers here can afford to hire them. I mean one day it could get there but it would have to happen very incrementally — start with a foundation then build from there. Even the lakefront is far from complete (lots of parking lots) and it’s been there over a century.
I’ve lived in London, NYC, Shanghai, Beijing, HK and Sydney and Chicago is definitely the most blue collar of the bunch. Our suburbs are rich and our beaches are accessible but everything else is pretty workaday. The St. Regis will never be Shanghai Tower, the 606 will never be the Highline, Millennium Park will never be Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, even the Riverwalk will never be as long as Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon. You get the drift. That being said — it’s still the most pleasant of the cities I’ve lived in, just not the most awe-inspiring, and I doubt a neighborhood space under the subway in Uptown will change that.
I’m not trying to start a pointless little War here with you………
Yet Sadly, you Clearly lack Vision, with those Negative Comments. To make DEFINITIVE Judgements about What is BETTER, and what is WORSE, in regards to some World Class Chicago Places{Places that MANY, MANY , MANY around the world LOVE, when Visiting Chicago, and are CONSIDERED some of the Most Well Thought Out, and Successfully Designed Places in the Modern Built Environment}, compared to Other Places, that are Certainly World Class in Their Own Right, is Telling……..
“Babe”
To Apply, Your Veeeerrrryyyy Subjective Views, in regards to What places are Better, and what places are Worse, according to, Who, You ?????
Give us All a Well Deserved Break, from your Entitled, Tired little World Traveler POV. How Pompous, and Self Entitled.
Comparing Most of those things you mentioned, are like Comparing Apples to Oranges, grapes to cherries, pomegranates to pears, Onions to Artichokes…………
It’s Soooooooo Subjective.
Chicago is in A Class, unto Itself……… Just. Like. Those. Places. Are.
I guess…… by Your Logic, you’ll start comparing The Pyramids of Giza to Tenochtitlan and Tikal ??????
Did you Live There, TOO, Babe ????
Btw, NEVER SAY NEVER………
You Hem Yourself In, with that. And to “DOUBT, that a space under the subway in Uptown, will change that”………
Is Again Telling, of how little you Really Care about the Matter At Hand.
And Don’t you Get it ?????
ZaHa Hadid was the Pioneer, for other Up and Coming Firms and Designers to Emulate…….. We Don’t have to “Literally”, Hire ZaHa’s firm on.
The money savings there alone, will $ave Million$.
Just like we don’t have to Resurrect Antonio Gaudi, from his Well Reserved Rest.
R.I.P. Man.
Sadly, You’re A Naive Pessimist……. Sadly
Tho I’m willing to cut you a lot of Major Slack tho……….
It’s A Rampant Pessimist Pandemic out there. You’re somewhat Infected, like us all.
Free Yourself Up……….
Stop, Trying to Drag Everyone Down to your Pessimistic Level, whilst in the Public Sphere ……..
It’ll go better for you, in the Long Run.
This is the Real World, Ya Know ?????
How about, running a World Wide Design Competition, for The Spaces ?????
Similar to the much admired, World Class, Tribune Tower ?????
Honestly, I’m Sorry, I had to be the one, to Tell Ya.
Don’t take it too Personally, but apparently, it looks like someone’s got to call you out, on those Really Subjective Comparisons.
No Hard Feelings ???
Cheers Mate 🥂
Carry On………
🫖☕
I don’t have negative views I’m just realistic. This is a CTA project which is underwater with a city that has no money, a state that is usually bankrupt, and a president who is NOT interested in giving any federal dollars to any blue states. It’s fine to dream, but if you only have your head in the clouds at what could have been then YOU are the negative one cuz you can’t get anything done.
If the last global design competition in Chicago you can think of was a century ago, then thanks for proving my point.
After all “This is the Real World, Ya Know ?????”
*{Pyramids of}Teotihuacan
Have you ever Really, LOOKED {Hint: Start with G~🌎}
At How Looooooooong………….
The Chicago River, Actually Is ?????????
Boatloads,
Of POTENTIALITY There.
And, Yes……..
It could be WIDENED, In Many Places.
Just Sayin’
Btw, Bozzzzzz
Don’t Piss Off The “Blue Collar” PEOPLE, who ACTUALLY BUILT and {{{TRY}}} and MAINTAIN, This “Awe Inspiring”,
COLOSSAL MIDWESTERN MEGALOPOLIS…………..
You jist MIGHT, Piss Off,
{{{The Wrong People}}}
Woooooord to The Wise, My Friend.
The 606 HAS MAD POTENTIAL………. And Plenty of FUTURE Options.
What a BOON that has been for The City.
You’ve Overstepped, on THAT Also.
SERIOUSLY, GO, and ACTUALLY, Try and Walk{or ROLL} THAT, with Some Mental Clarity………
And, Some Sense of:
GENUINE WONDER.
With some Nairobi, Marrakesh, Dakar, Tripoli, Kyoto, Tangiers, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Saigon, Shanghai, Bejing, Moscow, Manila, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Lima, Saint Petersburg, Rome, Rio, Buenos Aries, Berlin, Bogota, Paris, Warsaw, Kinshasa, Lagos, Munich, Hamburg, Mogadishu, Marseilles, Toulouse, Terahn, London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Luanda, Istanbul, Mumbai, Madrid, Dublin, Dubai, Delhi, Dacca, Cairo, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Sydney, Baghdad, Kiev, Damascus, Caracas, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Nice…………
{{{{{{Flavors}}}}}}
{To name a Very Few, and in no particular order……… Lolllllllllll}, thrown in.
🫖
The neighbors east of the track were promised privacy screens, is that on this rendering? The separation of the east/west track has minimum down light both in width and intensity. As was seen with Wilson, its cold underneath the tracks. Bryn Mawr to Hollywood asked for parking, since its heavy car use.
The Cold Shadows, have to be Addressed.
It’s REALLY, a Non Negotiable Point…… 🥶
They Need to BUILD Parking Structures, EVERYWHERE, in This City. Little India, on Narrow Devon Ave, and the Michigan, State, Clark, Broadway, and Halsted Corridors, for Prime Examples……..
Hopefully, cars won’t Dominate, This Prime Public Space.
While I fully support activation of otherwise underutilized spaces, this does seem to be another example of investment going towards the most affluent and resourced parts of the City. There are certainly parts of the City which need the open space more. There are also parts of the City with woefully undermaintained L tracks.
I’m certainly not saying that the project shouldn’t happen, but we should consider why other parts of the City don’t receive this same amount of attention.
Very Good Point.
A lot of Really Terrible, Under The Tracks, Spaces in This City. ABYSMAL, in Fact.
A Dirty Sin, Actually.
Maybe, At the Very Least, they could Conduct a World Wide Competition to Design Thoughtfully Planned Spaces,
“Under The Tracks”, for some of the more ABYSMAL SITES.
I Bet, THAT would Make
HEADLINES.
EVERYONE, Loves Chicago, Around The World.
THANKS,
For Bringing That, More Inclusive, Citywide, Point, Up.
Cheers, 🥂
Let’s Roll Up Our Sleeves, and Get To Work.
You are either a bot or 78 years old
Wakey Wakey Zappy
I’d prefer to have the CTA do the bare minimum with this space and divert the funds towards keeping the trains safe and clean. Too often it’s easier to get capital funding than it is to get operating funding, which is a pity.