Soil testing rig spotted outside of Belmont Blue Line station

Workers from a civil engineering firm were spotted this afternoon outside of the Belmont Blue Line station prepping the site for soil testing. The activity comes just three months after Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) announced the $15 million aesthetic overhaul of the station dubbed the “Belmont Gateway” project.

AJ LaTrace/Curbed Chicago

A major transfer point for travelers heading to and from O’Hare, the new station is being envisioned not only as a transportation hub, but as a neighborhood identifier for the Avondale community. While the bus turnaround at the station will remain, the upgraded facility will continue to utilize the pre-pay boarding system which was rolled out last summer.

Ross Barney Architects

The design from Ross Barney Architects, a firm that has worked on other high-profile public works projects like the Chicago Riverwalk Extension and 606 trail, will feature a prominent glass and steel canopy that will hang over the station and boarding area for the west-bound Belmont bus.

While soil testing is never a guarantee of pending construction activity, it almost always proceeds a large construction project. And with a planned overhaul for the Belmont Blue Line station all but moving forward, we can expect to see more activity at the site in the coming months.

AJ LaTrace/Curbed Chicago

Full disclosure: Curbed Chicago editor AJ LaTrace is a board member, zoning committee member, and Vice President of the Avondale Neighborhood Association.

• New look for the Belmont Blue Line CTA station revealed [Curbed Chicago]