Last month Mayor Emanuel unexpectedly announced that the Chicago Department of Transportation would rebuild a Chicago Transit Authority station on the Green Line at Damen Avenue.
While some, including Emanuel, have touted that it’ll carry people attending events at the United Center, because it’s two blocks closer than the Green & Pink Lines station at Ashland, this group would be the minority of users. Instead, the station will carry residents of Westhaven Park south of the ‘L’ tracks, and West Town residents a couple blocks north.
The station puts rapid transit within walking distance for hundreds of people, and biking and bus distance for thousands. There are also several thousand jobs in the area.
There are several vacant and underused lots within a block of the future station, including a city-owned lot that measures approximately 12,345 square feet. When I visited the lot two weeks ago it was clear that people were dumping on it.
The lot could be expanded if the cell tower south of it was relocated, and an alley was vacated. The tower and its related equipment occupy part of another vacant lot. This would add about 18,321 square feet, according to our new measuring tool, outlined in green.
The lots are zoned C1–2, which doesn’t allow much housing, which would be the best use of this land. It would essentially allow the low density housing of Westhaven Park to the west, but not the higher density housing of the same residential development to the east.
Since this will be a transfer point it makes sense to have some commuter-oriented retail, but also something that can be easily targeted to residents. It will take a few years to build up the commuter ridership at this location.
What do you think should be built here?