Bloomingdale Trail and Park Framework Plan Completed
The Framework Plan for the Bloomingdale Trail and Park has been completed, representing a critical juncture in the development of the project, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced today.
“Balanced between the efforts of the past and the development of the future, the Framework Plan captures the momentum and history of the project while defining a vision for the Bloomingdale’s initial development and long-term stewardship,” said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. “The Framework Plan sets the stage for the community’s goals and visions to be achieved and will be a meaningful guide for the Bloomingdale Trail and Park over time.”
The Framework Plan can be viewed and downloaded at the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail website at www.bloomingdaletrail.org and on CDOT’s website at www.chicagodot.org. The framework plan will help shape the formal design and engineering work that is currently underway by the Chicago Park District.
Klein also encouraged the public to attend a community meeting on Tuesday, May 15th that will include a brief presentation on the status of the project, including an opportunity to discuss the project details and access parks with the design team. The meeting will be at the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1440 N. Sacramento Ave., at 6 p.m.
Stretching 2.7 miles through four vibrant Chicago northwest side neighborhoods, the Bloomingdale is adjacent to numerous private properties, and crosses over major arterials, an historic boulevard, bus and bicycle routes, and the CTA Blue Line. The conversion of the elevated Bloomingdale Line into a trail and park provides unprecedented connections to and among these communities.
The Framework Plan builds on this unique experience, blending a safe and attractive trail, accessible to all, uninterrupted by motor vehicles, and designed for all users from children to seniors, with thirteen acres of open space to create a place to play, commute, and relax.
CDOT and its partners from the Chicago Park District, the Department of Housing and Economic Development, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, The Trust for Public Land, and, most importantly, the community, established a set of guidelines to design, implement, and manage a local trail and park with global appeal in the heart of Chicago’s neighborhoods.
"The Framework Plan reflects and refines the goals of earlier plans and visions of the community who has continued to work tirelessly to celebrate he Bloomingdale and inspire others to share the dream,” said Ben Helphand, President of the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail Board of Directors. “We are proud that together we have reached this important step to making the Bloomingdale a reality.”
The preliminary design process leading up to the completion of the Framework Plan included several public meetings, an inventory of the condition of the Bloomingdale Trail and Park site, a design charrette, geotechnical and environmental studies, and the creation of design guidelines and a phasing plan.
“This is the next step toward making the Bloomingdale Trail a reality, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with the City on this innovative reuse of industrial architecture into one of America’s next great public spaces,” said Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land. “We are particularly looking forward to hearing from, and working with, all Chicagoans who live in neighborhoods along the route.”
# # #
The Framework Plan for the Bloomingdale Trail and Park has been completed, representing a critical juncture in the development of the project, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced today.
“Balanced between the efforts of the past and the development of the future, the Framework Plan captures the momentum and history of the project while defining a vision for the Bloomingdale’s initial development and long-term stewardship,” said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. “The Framework Plan sets the stage for the community’s goals and visions to be achieved and will be a meaningful guide for the Bloomingdale Trail and Park over time.”
The Framework Plan can be viewed and downloaded at the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail website at www.bloomingdaletrail.org and on CDOT’s website at www.chicagodot.org. The framework plan will help shape the formal design and engineering work that is currently underway by the Chicago Park District.
Klein also encouraged the public to attend a community meeting on Tuesday, May 15th that will include a brief presentation on the status of the project, including an opportunity to discuss the project details and access parks with the design team. The meeting will be at the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1440 N. Sacramento Ave., at 6 p.m.
Stretching 2.7 miles through four vibrant Chicago northwest side neighborhoods, the Bloomingdale is adjacent to numerous private properties, and crosses over major arterials, an historic boulevard, bus and bicycle routes, and the CTA Blue Line. The conversion of the elevated Bloomingdale Line into a trail and park provides unprecedented connections to and among these communities.
The Framework Plan builds on this unique experience, blending a safe and attractive trail, accessible to all, uninterrupted by motor vehicles, and designed for all users from children to seniors, with thirteen acres of open space to create a place to play, commute, and relax.
CDOT and its partners from the Chicago Park District, the Department of Housing and Economic Development, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, The Trust for Public Land, and, most importantly, the community, established a set of guidelines to design, implement, and manage a local trail and park with global appeal in the heart of Chicago’s neighborhoods.
“The Framework Plan reflects and refines the goals of earlier plans and visions of the community who has continued to work tirelessly to celebrate he Bloomingdale and inspire others to share the dream,” said Ben Helphand, President of the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail Board of Directors. “We are proud that together we have reached this important step to making the Bloomingdale a reality.”
The preliminary design process leading up to the completion of the Framework Plan included several public meetings, an inventory of the condition of the Bloomingdale Trail and Park site, a design charrette, geotechnical and environmental studies, and the creation of design guidelines and a phasing plan.
“This is the next step toward making the Bloomingdale Trail a reality, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with the City on this innovative reuse of industrial architecture into one of America’s next great public spaces,” said Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land. “We are particularly looking forward to hearing from, and working with, all Chicagoans who live in neighborhoods along the route.”
# # #