CTA seeks public input for redevelopment of vacant land in Edgewater, Uptown

CHICAGO - The CTA needs your help – and your creativity.

There is about to be a major strip of empty land that runs through Edgewater and Uptown, and they want advice on what to do with it.

Those lakefront neighborhoods have lived with a crumbling, century-old embankment wall running for more than a mile, but after months of demolition work, the CTA is nearly done clearing it out to pave way for the modernized CTA Red and Purple Line tracks.

"We are so close to being finished," said Stephanie Cavazos, spokesperson for the CTA's Red Purple Modernization Project.  "We only have one block left to completely remove."

Once the concrete is gone, it will leave a 1.3-mile-long empty corridor from Lawrence all the way up to Ardmore, running parallel to the brand-new Red and Purple Line tracks.

"More than a mile. And this is the first time the CTA has ever cleared up this much space," said Cavazos.

The exciting question is: what to do with this much space? Options could range from park land and greenspace, to skate parks, farmers markets, or more parking.

"There's a world of possibilities," said Cavazos.

The CTA hosted its first public meeting to gather neighbors' input Wednesday night on what should be done with the vacated land. It's 10 blocks long, each block with a slightly different footprint, and the CTA has recruited the same design firm behind Ping Tom Park, the Obama Library, and River Walk East to help with the vision.

If you want to share your ideas, the CTA is hosting another meeting on Thursday night at Truman College.  It starts at 5:30 p.m.