Last year, the city announced its intention to build a new CTA Green Line station at Damen Avenue and Lake Street, filling in a 1.5-mile gap that currently exists between the line's Ashland and California stops. Today, Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled a set of renderings for the forthcoming station, which marks the first major CTA project on the Green Line since the completion of the Cermak-McCormick Place station in 2015.
The renderings released this morning reveal a modern design for the new stop, which features an entrance outfitted with gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows (much like the building replacing the former Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's, it kind of looks like an Apple Store) and a bright green, glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge over the platform that also sports some great views of the Chicago skyline. A Divvy station located near the station's entrance will make it easy to rent (or return) bikes, though the renderings don't depict storage options for individuals who might want to lock up a personal bike near the station.
The location of the new Green Line stop will provide another public transportation option for anyone traveling to the nearby United Center, which will hopefully ease post-event crowds at the Illinois Medical District Blue Line station. The addition will also make it easier to travel to the western end of the burgeoning Fulton Market District, where businesses like Rhine Hall Distillery and Metric Coffee have set up shop.
According to a release, work on the Damen Green Line station will begin in the spring of 2019 and is expected to open sometime in 2020. The city has not yet provided an exact price for the project, but funding will come from the Kinzie Industrial TIF.
Take a look at some additional renderings of the new station below.
Illustration: Courtesy Perkins + Will
Illustration: Courtesy Perkins + Will
