[Mr Downtown]

Ald. Dowell comes out against the 15th & Clark Red Line station:

"While I fully support 'The 78' development as unique and necessary opportunity for growth in the City of Chicago, I can not support Related Midwest's proposal to add a new CTA Red Line Station on 15th St. and Clark St., right in the middle of an established, entirely residential area. This location would be too disruptive for my residents and completely out of character with the area."

'The 78' is a 62-acre mixed-use development along Chicago's riverfront extending from Roosevelt Rd. to 16th St., from Clark St. to the Chicago River. 'The 78' development is located in the 25th Ward, while the proposed CTA Red Line Station would be located in the 3rd Ward. Currently, the closest CTA train stations to 'The 78' are located at Roosevlet Rd./State St. and Cermak/Chinatown. The proposed CTA Red Line Station for 15th St. and Clark St. would be within in the Dearborn Park II community, which consists exclusively of townhomes and several larger condominium buildings. Staging and construction for the new station would also impact Cotton Tail Park, a popular and widely used Chicago Park District neighborhood park. The construction of the proposed CTA Red Line Station would eliminate already limited community green space for years.

"I appreciate the hard work Curt Bailey and his team at Related Midwest have put in to 'The 78.' He has been more than willing to explain the CTA Red Line Station proposal to residents and open to meeting with the community to hear their thoughts. I recognize that is very difficult and I truly commend Related Midwest for their commitment. But throughout this process it has been clear that my constituents, who I am elected to represent, are against the new station. So as their Alderman, I respect my constituents' voice and join them in opposing the CTA Red Line Station for 15th St. and Clark St."

Previous approvals of 'The 78' project by City Council, which Alderman Dowell supported, did not contain any information regarding the proposed CTA Red Line Station at 15th St. and Clark St. Related Midwest crafted the proposal for a new CTA Red Line Station without community input from 3rd Ward residents. When Related Midwest asked for Alderman Dowell's support for the project, Alderman Dowell held a Town Hall meeting on Monday, December 17, 2018 on the issue to introduce the proposal to the community prior to taking a position. At the Town Hall meeting, Curt Bailey and the Related Midwest team presented the proposed CTA Red Line Station and took comments from the over 200 residents in attendance. Since that meeting, Alderman Dowell has continued to solicit resident's opinions on the project, receiving countless emails, a petition signed by over 500 residents in opposition to the station, social media messages and phone calls on the subject. The vast majority of these comments are firmly against the project.