A $28.2-million contract has been approved by the Metra Board of Directors to build the new Auburn Park Station on the Rock Island Line in the Auburn-Gresham community on the South Side of Chicago.
The contract for the new station and parking facility was awarded to John Burns Construction of Orland Park. Burns committed to a DBE goal of 30 percent for the project.
“I know I’m speaking for the members of the Auburn-Gresham community when I say I’m very pleased to see progress on the Auburn Park Metra Station,” said State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago), who secured $30 million in state funding for the project. “Our South Side communities have long suffered from disinvestment and unequal access to basic amenities like public transportation. This Metra stop will help connect local families to economic opportunities and other resources our community needs to grow and thrive.”
“We are excited to be one step closer to making this new station a reality for the residents of the Auburn-Gresham community,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski. “We are sincerely grateful to [State Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago)] for her tireless and passionate work to move this project along for the benefit of her constituents.”
The new, fully accessible station at 79th Street will feature:
- A large, landscaped plaza with bicycle racks, benches, trees and canopy.
- A vendor building with glass storefronts and a bright, open atmosphere.
- A living green wall along the existing retaining wall.
- A staircase and two elevators between the street and platform levels.
- A 480-foot platform with a bright, polycarbonate canopy and two shelters.
- A snow melt system that will keep the platform clear without the need for deicing chemicals.
- A new 84-space parking lot featuring a kiss-n-ride drop-off area, covered bicycle parking, landscaped islands, trees and a decorative fence to screen the lot from neighboring homes.
- Roadway improvements to provide vehicular access to the station.
Metra says the new station aims to improve access to transportation and jobs throughout the region, support economic development and opportunities in the neighborhood and contribute to the overall health of the community.
