This just in: The Framework Plan for the Bloomingdale Trail is set to be unleashed upon the public Thursday, March 8. The design team over at CDOT has been busily putting together new renderings and a cohesive construction phasing plan that everyone hopes will be responsive to the months' worth of community involvement already logged. An impressively participatory string of meetings, studies, and charrettes honed in on the public's preferences (see CDOT's heartwarming video below on the public process), and next week's presentation and open house is our first chance to see and respond to the product. Nothing is final about the designs.
In case you've been living under a rock, here's the gist of the project: The nearly-three-mile abandoned rail line stands to be converted to a mixed-use linear park and recreation corridor. Prior design meetings and workshops focused on striking a balance between pedestrians and bikers, trails and green space. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Transportation commish Gabe Klein are quite keen on the project, and government funding is in place for what's estimated to run between $40-75M. Along with the renderings and project timeline, the City will also reveal tighter preliminary cost estimates. If designs are leaked beforehand, you can bet we'll serve 'em up.
·Bloomingdale Trail and Park Framework Plan [Press Release]
·City Finally Ready to Start Working on Bloomingdale plans? [Curbed Chicago]
[Video by CDOT via youtube]
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