Some architect is dumping the Victorian look for something that looks like Millenium Park or the Red Line...UGLY

This is what the State/Lake CTA station could look like under planned $180 million remodel

The city hopes one of the busiest and oldest downtown L stations will get a mega facelift in the next few years.

By Madeline Kenney Jun 9, 2021, 7:14pm CDT


 

A rendering shows the preliminary design concepts for a rebuilt State/Lake ‘L’ station. Provided


The city is hoping the State/Lake CTA station, one of the city’s original L stops and now one of its busiest, will soon be getting a mega facelift.

The century-old platform downtown is slated to undergo a $180 million makeover in the coming years

that will make the station fully accessible and add a large glass canopy overhead, among other improvements.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Department of Transportation gave Chicagoans a first look at what the updated station might look like.

The two agencies unveiled renderings featuring the preliminary architectural concepts for the modernization project that will widen platforms and add four elevators to the State/Lake station.

It’s unclear when the construction process, which is being led by CDOT on the CTA’s behalf, will begin. Full funding for the project has yet to be secured, but once that’s in place, the project is expected to take about three years, CDOT spokesperson Mike Claffey said.

The station will be demolished and closed during the rebuild, but the tracks will remain in service, Claffey said.

The State/Lake station, which was originally built in 1895, serves five of the CTA’s eight rail lines. In 2019, it was the second busiest station in the Loop, with more than 3.7 million annual entries.

“Given that the State and Lake CTA Station lies within the beating heart of Chicago, we must pave the way for its full modernization and make it easily accessible for all transit riders,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “In addition to accessibility, this project also demonstrates our commitment to the full revival of the Loop — which is the economic engine and cultural hub of our great city.”

The plan for the rebuilt State/Lake station features platforms that are double the current width and will have four elevators — one on each corner. Other new amenities for the station, originally built in 1895, include a large glass canopy that will protect riders from the elements and north and south facing balconies that will overlook State Street. There will also be a walkway connecting the inner and outer platforms.

“The design for the new State and Lake CTA station provides a first class, fully accessible new gateway serving transit riders from every corner of Chicago at this historic intersection in the center of the City,” CDOT Commissioner Gia Biagi said in a statement. “The investment in this light-filled new transit hub sends a strong message that Chicago’s downtown is coming back better than ever from the challenges we’ve faced in the last year.”

This is the latest project in the modernization of the nation’s second-largest transit agency.

Last week, Lightfoot broke ground on four North Side Red Line stations — Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr — which are currently undergoing complete makeovers as part of the $4.7 billion Red and Purple Modernization Project that started in 2014.