Metra breaks ground on new Auburn Park station, facility set to open in 2024

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Local and state officials broke ground on what'll be the new Auburn Park Station.

The station will be for the Rock Island Line in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. 

"We are excited and happy to break ground on this station and take a significant step toward bringing fast, dependable Metra service to this community," said Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski.

According to Metra, the new station will feature a landscaped plaza, bike racks, canopy, a vendor building, 84-space parking lot and snow melting system to keep the platforms clean during the winter. 

The transit agency said the $28.2 million contract for the station and lot went to Orland Park-based John Burns Construction. 

The station is slated to open in 2024. Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois State Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16th) and Metra Board Chair Romayne C. Brown were on hand for the event.

"Thanks to our Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan, Auburn Gresham is getting a new, fully accessible Metra station," said Pritzker. "This gleaming station will improve access to transportation and jobs throughout the region, support economic development and opportunities in the neighborhood, and contribute to the overall health of the community."

"Communities on the South Side have long suffered from disinvestment and unequal access to basic amenities like public transportation. This means a lack of access to jobs and opportunity for working families here," Collins said. "As we break ground today, we signal to these communities that we are changing the course by investing in their overall development and building a better, more equitable Chicagoland."

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