In 2025, CTA began actively developing a plan to reopen the Racine Green Line station at W. 63rd Street and S. Racine Avenue and expand access to transportation, opportunity, and connection for Englewood residents.
The station has been closed since 1994. The work necessary to heavily renovate and reopen the station will be extensive, including a full renovation of the old stationhouse, platforms and stairs and historical preservation work. Additionally, the work would include installation of an elevator to make the station fully accessible to customers with disabilities.
History
The Racine station opened February 25, 1907, on what was then called the Englewood branch of the South Side Elevated Railroad. CTA took over operations and public ownership of this route in 1947.
Racine was closed with other Green Line stations in 1994 for a two-year renovation of the line but was not renovated and did not reopen when the Green Line work was completed.
The station was not demolished. A memorandum of understanding between CTA and the Historic Preservation Division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in the 1980s resulted in Racine and other select stations being designated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places based on their architectural and/or historic merit.
More recently, CTA has engaged with the Go Green Development Group (GGDG) – a group of community organizations comprised of R.A.G.E., IMAN, Teamwork Englewood and E.G. Woode, which has advocated for reopening the station and for its importance in the Englewood community.
Because the station has been closed for more than 30 years, CTA anticipates extensive investment needed to restore the station and make it ADA-accessible. Early cost estimates to reconstruct the station including making it accessible are at least $90 million.
The desire to reopen Racine gained momentum in late 2025, when the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act was signed into law. That law stated “The Authority shall remodel, renovate, or construct a new station along the Green Line within the Englewood community area. The renovated or newly constructed station shall be completed and open for public operation no later than January 1, 2031.”
Current efforts
Because of the state’s landmark transit legislation, CTA has begun to develop a study on how to renovate and reopen the station. The results of this study will give CTA a better understanding of how to renovate the station to meet ADA requirements, riders’ needs and a timeframe for construction and completion.
Community meeting Dec. 8, 2026
CTA, GGDG and 16th Ward Ald. Stephanie Coleman will hold a community meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2026, inviting residents, constituents, and CTA riders to tell us what they would like to see at their future station – how they will access and use the station and what amenities they would like to see for the station, which will serve as a centerpiece for the neighborhood.
Register for the Dec. 8 meeting here!
The reopening study is the beginning of the process to determine how the station will be renovated, including when construction work will begin.
Have questions about the station project? Contact us at [email protected].
What’s New
We want to hear from you! Join CTA, Go Green Development Group (GGDG) and 16th Ward Ald. Stephanie Coleman for a community meeting about the reconstruction and reopening of the Racine/63rd Green Line station.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Kennedy King College, 740 W. 63rd St. Register here
Project materials
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will CTA reopen the Racine station?
A: Yes. The CTA has begun a reopening study to determine how to reconstruct the station to meet riders’ needs and a timeframe for construction and completion.
Q: When will work begin on the station?
A: There is no date yet because this study is just the beginning of the process. The work necessary to rehabilitate the station and make it accessible will be extensive.
Q: Why can't the station be reopened as it is?
A: The station, which was built in 1907, is not ADA-accessible and needs to be renovated to meet the needs of today’s riders.
Q: Is there funding available to rebuild the station?
A: Funding for the project is still being finalized. CTA has received a $2 million grant from the federal government to study opening the station. Also, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act – state legislation that passed in late 2025 – requires the new regional transit body to open a new station on the Green Line in Englewood.
Q: What amenities will the station have when it is reopened?
A: The station design will include an ADA-accessible way to get to the elevated platform. Additional amenities have not yet been defined and will be developed with feedback from local residents, constituents, and other stakeholders on what they want to see in the future station.
Q: What impact will station construction have on the area?
A: CTA will provide the public with advance notice of any and all upcoming work, expected impacts and what would be done to minimize impacts on residents and others in the community.
Q. Why is it important to reopen this station?
A. Historically, CTA investment in its infrastructure has frequently led to economic benefits to local communities, from attracting new businesses to creating jobs. The Racine station, once reopened, will complement the new residential and business development that is already happening in the Englewood community.