Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced a plan to the City Council today for the City of Chicago to formally acquire the 2. 7-mile railroad embankment for the construction of the Bloomingdale Trail and Park on the city’s northwest Side.

“The conversion of the elevated Bloomingdale Line into a trail and park provides unprecedented connections among the vibrant Northwest Side neighborhoods the old railway runs through,” Mayor Emanuel said. “This property acquisition is one of the first steps to begin the design and construction process.”

The future Bloomingdale Trail and Park runs along Bloomingdale Avenue, adjacent to numerous private properties, and crosses  over major arterials, an historic boulevard, bus and bicycle routes, and the CTA Blue Line.  The plan is to blend a safe and attractive trail, accessible to all, uninterrupted by motor vehicles, with 13 acres of new open space that creates a place to play, commute, and relax.  Construction is to be substantially completed by the end of 2014.

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will acquire the property from the Canadian Pacific Railroad for a nominal fee of $1 plus $105,000 in administrative fees associated with the vacation of the railroad right-of-way.

CDOT has received approximately $46 million in federal funding for construction of the trail and park. The required 20 percent local match is being raised with private funds through assistance from the City’s project partner, Trust for Public Land.  

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