

Mayor Rahm Emanuel brought his dog and pony show to the future site of Chicago's 146th CTA station on Thursday, at Cermak & State. It was official groundbreaking time for the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line station, slated to finish construction by the end of 2014 (h/t: Sloopin). The ceremony was bolstered by the release of more renderings to news outlets. You'll recall the station is being designed by Carol Ross Barney, architect of the Morgan CTA station opened in May 2012. Many readers were aghast at that project's $38M cost, and the Cermak station promises to run up a $50M tab. But a key feature—and the most expensive—is the long cocoon that blocks relentless winter wind and offers more possibilities for heating zones.

The station will be a major boon to a lagging transit infrastructure in the South Loop and Motor Row, where population is growing and large entertainment and hospitality development is afoot. Other infrastructure improvements, totaling $42M, are happening in concert with the Cermak station project, including rehab of the Harrison Red Line station, Roosevelt station, and streetscaping (including introduction of a raised two-way bike path) along a congested section of Roosevelt Road.

·Press Release: Mayor Emanuel Breaks Ground for Cermak Green Line Station [City of Chicago]

·Forthcoming Cermak-McCormick Station Nabs the Spotlight [Curbed Chicago]