CTA will present preliminary designs for under-L area between Lawrence and Ardmore following the RPM Project’s removal of 100-year-old embankment wall
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced it will hold public community meetings on May 22 and 23 to present preliminary designs and concepts for the upcoming under “L” activation between Lawrence to Bryn Mawr stations under new Red and Purple Line tracks being constructed as part of the historic $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One Project in the Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods.
More than one mile of new, open space under the L tracks has become available to the community. The CTA last year removed the 100-year-old embankment as part of the RPM project, creating a unique opportunity to provide the Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods new, open space underneath Red and Purple Line tracks between W Lawrence and W Ardmore avenues.
CTA has partnered with Site Design Group, a Chicago-based, nationally award-winning landscape architecture, urban design and architecture firm to guide the development of a block-by-block plan to activate new community space under the CTA tracks. Following the first set of public meetings earlier this year, which solicited feedback from the residents in the area, CTA and Site Design will present the preliminary designs and concepts to the community at public meetings on May 22 and 23, 2024.
Public meetings series #1: Kickoff – January 2024 ✓
CTA and Site Design presented an overview of how activation process will work and timeline, and constraints (i.e. what can’t be done) and examples from other cities. Residents provided feedback that inspired the initial concepts to be shared at May 2024 public meetings. Presentation materials from January 2024 can be found here.
Public meetings series #2: Preliminary concepts – May 22-23, 2024
This series of meetings responds to feedback received from the first round of engagement by providing concepts for each of the 10 blocks based on feedback from the first meetings and solicit input from the community on those concepts.
For blocks between W Foster and W Ardmore:
Date and time: Wednesday, May 22, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Saint Ita Catholic Church, 5500 N. Broadway
Register in advance here.
For blocks between W Lawrence and W Foster:
Date and time: Thursday, May 23, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave.
Register in advance here.
Public meetings series #3: Final activation public meetings – Anticipated late summer 2024
CTA and Site Design will share the final concepts and a proposed framework for how activation will roll out. These meetings are expected to be held in late summer 2024.
RPM Phase One Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization work: Project status
CTA continues to make significant progress in the final major stage of construction (“Stage B”) of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr portion of RPM. Stage A, which was completed in July 2023, rebuilt the northbound Red and Purple line track structures between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr.
Stage B, now under way, is rebuilding the southbound Red and Purple Line track structures and building four new, fully accessible Red Line stations at Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr. Work on the new stations began in early 2024, with expected completion in late 2025.
For more information about the RPM Phase One project, visit transitchicago.com/RPM or follow @CTARPM on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.
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