The future of 95^th Street in Roseland and a portion of Washington Heights will be the focus of a Nov. 1 community meeting that will explore Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) opportunities along two miles of the mixed-use corridor. 

Part of the Department of Planning and Development and Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) “95^th Street Corridor Plan,” the virtual meeting will ask local residents and businesses about their priorities for new investment, opportunity sites, and how to ensure future improvements provide equitable access for people using public transit between Halsted Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. 

“This stretch of 95^th has the unique opportunity to leverage the CTA Red Line and Metra Electric Line for pedestrian-oriented growth that’s complemented by local and regional bus lines,” Acting DPD Commissioner Patrick Murphey said. “To do that, we need to hear from residents, workers, students and other corridor users about their visions for the future.” 

Characterized by low-scale commercial and residential buildings, the campus of Chicago State University, the Red Line terminal near State Street and the Metra station at Cottage Grove, the corridor includes numerous underutilized and vacant properties that could more effectively serve local needs, Murphey said. Most blocks adjacent to the corridor are comprised of owner-occupied, single-family homes that make 95th attractive to investors, small businesses and developers. 

“The new 95^th/Dan Ryan terminal was conceived not only as an important transit hub, but also as a new landmark and anchor for the community supporting equitable transit-oriented development,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said. “We are eager to commence this planning process and work with the surrounding communities to help develop a plan that will reflect the vision and address the needs of the Roseland and Washington heights communities – now and for generations to come.”  

The 90-minute meeting will be facilitated by local non-profits -- the Endeleo Institute and Far South Community Development Corp. – which are helping to ensure the area’s equitable growth as the CTA’s Red Line is extended from 95^th to 130^th Street in the years ahead. The meeting will include overviews of previous planning efforts, correlations between public health and equitable transit, the status of current transit projects, and polls about neighborhood needs. 

“This planning process potentially offers a new future that is built on the voices and priorities of the community residents along the corridor,” Endeleo spokesperson Hubert Morgan said. “It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” 

Future meetings will be held in months to come as part of the planning process. A plan with formal goals and strategies could be presented for review and adoption by the Chicago Plan Commission next fall, which would help ensure future projects align with community members’ vision for the street. 

Learn more about the 95^th Street Corridor Plan and register to attend the Nov. 1 kickoff meeting at www.Chicago.gov/95th.

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