This past week, the CTA made a tremendous down payment on the future of Chicago’s Far South Side. The Red Line extension project is a huge step toward reversing decades of racial inequality, transit inequity and economic disinvestment for thousands of families in Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights and nearby neighborhoods.
The CTA did this by hiring an experienced contracting team, Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners, to build the critical Red Line extension that will extend the Red Line 5.6 miles from its southern end at 95th Street to the Altgeld Gardens community south of 130th Street. The project will create four new Red Line stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street.
This is more than just another mega transportation project in Chicago.
It’s a historic, equity-focused project allowing the CTA to better serve Chicagoans on the Far South Side, including some of the city’s most disadvantaged and transit-dependent residents.
After decades of talk — nearly 60 years of empty promises — the CTA is moving this project forward.
The extension benefits thousands of Chicagoans who have been left behind and who don’t have the same fair access to rapid transit as the rest of the city.
Proud Far South Side Chicagoans shouldn’t be forced to spend an hour or more commuting, facing daily obstacles to getting to jobs and school. Through this project’s economic development, they will soon see fewer boarded-up buildings and empty storefronts in their neighborhoods.
And those who feel forgotten and unseen will soon benefit from real progress.
The Red Line extension will benefit generations to come by connecting all of Chicago. We know this. We thank the CTA for keeping its word and getting us to this point.
We’ll continue to push and advocate for every man, woman and child who will benefit from this investment. The Red Line extension is coming, and it’s bringing jobs, better access to transit and a brighter future.
There’s no turning back.
— Abraham D. Lacy, president, Far South Community Development Corp., Chicago
City’s changing neighborhoods
Chicago is no stranger to media attention, but our city is once again on the global stage for the Democratic National Convention. With this spotlight will come the good — and critical — media coverage that Chicagoans have come to expect and an opportunity to undo misconceptions about our city.
Chicagoans are quick to tell others what makes Chicago special: our stunning lakefront, world-renowned cultural institutions and iconic skyline. However, it’s equally important that we use this moment to showcase revitalization efforts outside the Loop, in our “city of neighborhoods.”
Since the DNC was last in Chicago in 1996, our city’s most well-known additions are Millennium Park and the Riverwalk. But there have also been many success stories on the South and West sides. The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, launched under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, has directed resources from downtown developers to support small businesses in disinvested communities. Many of these businesses are now featured vendors at the DNC, such as Brown Sugar Bakery from Chatham. We also have a forward-thinking philanthropic community, partnering with the government, to fund transformative projects such as the Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub. This project had many supporters but most notably received the $10 million Chicago Prize from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.
The Pullman neighborhood is a national example of successful revitalization. A partnership between government and the nonprofit Chicago Neighborhoods Initiatives, job creation and affordable housing were the bedrocks of this work. A Walmart and Whole Foods distribution center have already opened, and countless historic row houses have been renovated. These efforts have reinvigorated a community long overlooked, bringing 1,554 new jobs and increasing property values by 136%.
The Obama Presidential Center, slated to open next year, is already catalyzing development throughout Woodlawn. Additionally, the Far South Side recently welcomed the announcement of the PSIQuantum campus, set to revive the long-shuttered U.S. Steel Plant site and bring new opportunities to the area.
As all eyes are on Chicago this week, let’s seize the opportunity to tell the story of our city through the changes happening across our neighborhoods. By showcasing the ongoing revitalization efforts on the South and West sides, Chicago can redefine our narrative, demonstrating that our city’s strength lies not only in past accomplishments but also in the promise of our future.
— Eleanor Gorski, president and CEO, Chicago Architecture Center
Board does Glenview no favors
With the world order threatened and the American political temperature at a fever pitch, why is the Tribune Editorial Board dedicating an entire editorial (“Northern suburbs are awash in coffeehouses, so why is Glenview subsidizing a new one?”), with a cartoon, to a coffeehouse in Glenview? No thanks to the editorial board, the coffee situation in Glenview is not as dire as it portends.
As any resident will attest, downtown Glenview was in a dreadful state for more than 30 years. It has suffered through too many vacancies, deteriorating buildings and too few thriving businesses to attract residents and visitors to the downtown. In the last five years, however, significant momentum toward a revitalized downtown has been achieved through the current board of trustees’ strategic use of the Permanent Fund, a nontaxpayer-funded resource that even the editorial board praises. This has enticed successful restaurateurs (through grants and loans) to open several new restaurants in an otherwise-unattractive market.
Yes, Hometown Coffee is one of these new restaurants, leasing and redeveloping two vacant downtown buildings owned by a generational Glenview family. It is a successful, popular eatery capable of drawing excited customers to the downtown.
That is the point — many new restaurants, all competing and in the process drawing crowds that have been absent from the downtown for decades. The coffeehouse the editorial defends, the Glenview Grind, is an excellent establishment and deserves the loyal following it will no doubt continue to enjoy. It also enjoys the only drive-thru service that exists downtown. The Grind is in the center of downtown, while Hometown will be more than two blocks away. The editorial board misses this fact.
Will the Glenview Grind have competition? Of course — for years, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Joe Donuts have been less than a block away. The Grind will certainly continue to prosper.
The Glenview Village Board is not picking “winners and losers,” as the Tribune Editorial Board suggests. Its efforts are to make a winner of our downtown — which will benefit all businesses located there.
Most importantly, the residents of Glenview will be the ultimate winners with an exciting, vibrant downtown for all to enjoy.
— Jeff Zehe, Glenview
Reporting on two women’s teams
Great to see two articles about Chicago women’s professional sports teams on the front page of the Aug. 15 Sports section, one on the Sky (“Question: Who will fill in for Mabrey?”) and the other on the Red Stars (“Team resolves conflict”)! Well written and well reported.
Such a breath of fresh air after a lifetime of all Bears, all the time.
— Alice Wunderlich, Mount Prospect
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