March 25--When most Chicagoans think of the space under the "L" tracks, they think of pigeons, rats, Dumpsters, parked cars and lurking muggers.
But community groups in Uptown want to turn the environment under the renovated Wilson station into something completely different -- a place for pedestrians, plants and bike and food truck parking -- a stage of sorts for events like farmers markets and public art. They're calling the proposal the "Wilson Underline," and if approved and funded it would be the first "under-the-L" permanent public space in the city.
"The purpose is to really enhance the transformative project the CTA is already doing at the Wilson station to create a public space," said Sara Dinges, executive director of Uptown United, the economic development agency and Chamber of Commerce for the neighborhood. "It's modeled after a lot of great research and projects already happening around the country."
She pointed to a New York initiative called "Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities," which is focused on finding uses for areas under highways, bridges and train tracks. That project has included a kiosk under a Bronx elevated station stop with a sound booth playing songs by musicians with Bronx connections.
The CTA is spending $203 million to overhaul the antiquated Wilson station, which will create a new transfer point for the Red and Purple Express lines, modernize the 100-year-old track structure and 93-year-old Beaux Arts station house at Wilson Avenue and Broadway, make the station handicapped-accessible and install artwork. The new platform opened this week for Loop-bound Purple Line Express trains in the morning and southbound Red Line trains all day, and the entire project is projected to be finished by fall of 2017.
