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86-647: In 2021, the facility had the second-highest ridership in Illinois, behind Chicago Union Station and ahead of Uptown Station in Bloomington, with just over 103,000 passengers serviced. Owned by the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District , the building also houses a Subway restaurant and the offices of the Junior League , as well as a school, meeting spaces, and banquet halls. It formerly housed

172-537: A union station just north of the original Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad station site at Van Buren Street. These railroads were: The Michigan Central, which had previously been using the Illinois Central Railroad 's Great Central Station , soon decided to back out of the agreement, and continued to use the Illinois Central Depot. The Chicago and North Western Railway , not part of

258-494: A December 1944 issue of The Saturday Evening Post , depicting the station jammed with Christmas travelers. After the war, the growth of highway construction and private ownership of automobiles caused a severe decline in American passenger-rail ridership, including at Union Station. In 1969, the station's owner demolished the concourse building, making way for a modern office tower. A new and modernized, though less grand, concourse

344-545: A Great Hall, highlighted by brass lamps. The station connects to multiple transit authorities including the Chicago Transit Authority bus and Chicago L lines, Metra , Pace , Greyhound , and more either within the station or within walking distance. Chicago Union Station is named a union station , like many train stations across the United States that were shared by several railroad companies. The station

430-571: A civic push to consolidate numerous railroad terminals, led to a proposal for an enlarged Union Station on the same site. The second Union Station would be built by the Chicago Union Station Company . This was a new company formed by all the railroads that had used the first station, save for the Chicago and Alton, which became a tenant in the new station. The Pennsylvania Railroad, then the U.S.'s largest railroad company, planned and directed

516-479: A cost of approximately $ 36 million to Enterprise Companies of Chicago redevelop into retail and housing. The Illinois Medical District is one of the largest medical districts in the United States, and the largest in the state. John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County (formerly known as Cook County Hospital ), one of the largest county-run hospitals in the U.S. and inspiration for the TV shows ER and The Fugitive ,

602-415: A space formerly used as a Fred Harvey restaurant. After a large fire in 1980, the space was damaged, windows on Clinton Street were destroyed, and the space was left vacant since then. In 2018, Amtrak announced plans to redevelop the space into a multi-level food hall, using funds from the sale of its parking garage. A new entrance and canopy would be installed on Clinton Street, and new windows would replace

688-417: A square Neoclassical structure, takes up one city block. Its architectural style contrasts with modern glass-faced buildings around it. The station has wide porticos and large colonnades on its exterior. The street-level entrances utilize Indiana limestone . The station originally featured a large Beaux-Arts concourse building along the river, made with marble, glass, and iron. Massive steel arches held up

774-460: A tower addition above Union Station. From 2018 to 2019, a $ 22 million restoration of the Great Hall, including restoring original detailing and rebuilding the large skylight, was completed, increasing natural light by 50 to 60 percent. The skylight, originally built in the 1920s, suffered from decades of harsh weather, leading to countless patchwork repairs, many of which blocked light from entering

860-534: A weekly outdoor market. The area was also a center in the development of the Chicago Blues in the mid-twentieth century. The Market was moved twice in the 1990s and 2000s, and continues on Des Plaines Street. In the 2000s, UIC led a redevelopment of the area, which included new dormitories, parking garages, commercial buildings, and housing. The borders are 16th Street to the south, the Dan Ryan Expressway to

946-496: Is a major transportation hub for the region. The southern and western boundaries of the area are defined by busy rail-road tracks. The St. Charles Air Line , at the area's southern edge is also a major passenger train route. There are many bus routes in the area. For rapid transit , the area is served by the Blue , Green , and Pink Lines on the Chicago "L" . The Lake Street Elevated ,

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1032-467: Is a neighborhood consisting of residential and retail properties. University Village, along with other major developments such as University Commons and University Station, is conveniently located near the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus, the medical district, and Maxwell Street. The blocks around the intersection of Maxwell and Halsted Streets, the heart of University Village, once served as

1118-531: Is known as Little Italy. An Italian community developed in the late nineteenth century. Italians never actually constituted a majority in the polyglot area, but the neighborhood is still home to several Italian-American landmarks, such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompei and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame , as well as Italian-American social clubs . Taylor Street is home to

1204-616: Is located here. The District had its start in the 1870s when Cook County Hospital, Rush Medical College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons were established on the Near West Side following the great Chicago fire of 1871 . The cornerstone for the Medical Center was the building of Cook County Hospital in 1876. In 1877, Rush Medical College erected a building next to County at Harrison and Wood. Presbyterian Hospital (affiliated with Rush)

1290-435: Is located in the 9th House District and the 10th House District represented by Democratic Representatives Jawaharial Williams and Lakesia Collins . Small portions of the Near West Side are located in the 1st Legislative District, represented by Democratic Senator Antonio Munoz , the 3rd Legislative District, represented by Democratic Senator Mattie Hunter , the 2nd Representative District, represented by Theresa Mah , and

1376-400: Is the Great Hall, the main waiting room. Arrayed around the Great Hall are numerous smaller spaces containing restaurants and services, and a wide passageway leading to the concourse. Above the main floor are several floors of office space, currently used by Amtrak. Original plans called for many more floors of offices, forming a skyscraper above the Great Hall. This was never completed, although

1462-538: Is the home of the Ogilvie Transportation Center (formerly Chicago & North Western Station), a major commuter rail terminal. The neighborhood is known for the aroma of chocolate emanating from the Blommer Chocolate Company . Greektown is a restaurant and nightlife corridor along Halsted Street between Van Buren and Madison Streets . In the late 19th century Greek immigrants settled

1548-664: Is the second by that name built in Chicago, and possibly the third rail station to occupy the site. The need for a single, centralized station was an important political topic in 19th and 20th-century Chicago, as various competing railroads had built a series of terminal stations. The numerous stations and associated railyards and tracks surrounded the city's central business district, the Loop , and threatened its expansion. The various stations also made travel difficult for through-travelers, many of whom had to make inconvenient transfers often slowed by street traffic from one station to another through

1634-544: Is the terminus of eight national long-distance routes and eight regional corridor routes. Six Metra commuter lines also terminate here. Union Station is just west of the Chicago River between West Adams Street and West Jackson Boulevard, adjacent to the Chicago Loop . Including approach and storage tracks, it covers about nine and a half city blocks (mostly underground, beneath streets and skyscrapers, some built with

1720-503: Is the third union station to occupy the site between West Adams Street and West Jackson Boulevard. The station is known by the acronym CUS, as well as by its Amtrak station code CHI. Chicago Union Station is situated in the West Loop Gate neighborhood of the Near West Side of Chicago, just west of Chicago's Loop . The station's underground concourse and train sheds abut the Chicago River ; passageways extend west beneath Canal Street to

1806-711: The Hiawatha , the Borealis , and the Empire Builder , and by Metra for the Milwaukee District West , Milwaukee District North , and North Central Service routes. The south tracks are used for all other Amtrak services, as well as by Metra for the BNSF , Heritage Corridor and SouthWest Services . Two station management structures (known as glasshouses), one on each side of the terminal, monitor train-to-track assignments and

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1892-611: The Jane Byrne Interchange . The area is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Chicago-Kent College of Law , and City Colleges' Malcolm X College . the United Center , the Illinois Medical District , Union Station , Ogilvie Station , and the Jane Byrne Interchange are also located in the community area. The West Loop lies along the western bank of the Chicago River . It generally includes

1978-474: The Kennedy Expressway as far as Union Park . The district is a former manufacturing and current transportation corridor turned mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood. The neighborhood includes warehouses that have been converted to loft condominiums , new construction high rise condominiums and apartments, high rise and mid rise business offices, retail and restaurants. The Fulton River District

2064-518: The 1920s, the market was congested and overcrowded. The City of Chicago built new streets parallel to the Chicago River and moved the market to the neighborhood, alongside the St. Charles Air Line . The three-story buildings were originally designed by the architects Fugard & Knapp. On July 10, 2003, the Chicago Planning Commission granted their approval on the sale of the produce market for

2150-502: The 1960s, work began on Gateway Center, a Modernist complex of five buildings. Only the first four were built, and construction lasted into the 1980s through several economic cycles. In 1990 the Morton International Building opened. Now named for Boeing , it is the tallest building yet to be constructed over the tracks. With the construction of River Point beginning in 2013 and 150 North Riverside beginning in 2014,

2236-407: The 2013–2014 school year this declined to 46%, and Linda Lutton of WBEZ stated that Irving "is largely ignored by the families who live here." As of that school year, 80% of Irving students originated from outside of the school's attendance zone, and according to Lutton it was "a neighborhood school in name only." Moses Montefiore Academy , a CPS special school for at-risk youth, was located in

2322-537: The 24-hour operation of the railroads. The statue Night holds an owl, while Day holds a rooster. The Chicago Union Station Power House is a decommissioned coal-fire power plant that provided power to Union Station and its surrounding infrastructure. Located on the Chicago River, north of Roosevelt Road , it was designed in the Art Moderne style by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White in 1931. The power plant

2408-530: The 25th and 28th wards, represented by Democrats Daniel Solis and Jason Ervin , and smaller parts are within the 11th and 42nd wards, represented by Democrats Patrick Daley Thompson and Brendan Reilly. In the Illinois Senate , the Near West Side is located almost entirely in the 5th Legislative District, represented by Democratic Senator Patricia Van Pelt . In the Illinois House of Representatives , it

2494-563: The 6th Representative District, represented by Sonya Harper . Almost all of the area is part of Illinois's 7th congressional district , the most Democratically leaning district in the State of Illinois according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index , with a score of D+38, represented by Democrat Danny K. Davis . The southeasternmost jog is part of Illinois's 4th congressional district , the second-most Democratically leaning district in

2580-756: The Champaign office for Mike Frerichs when he represented Champaign-Urbana in the Illinois Senate . Illinois Terminal was built with funds provided by the Federal Transit Administration , Illinois Department of Transportation , the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District and the city of Champaign, and was named for the Illinois Terminal Railroad , an electric interurban line that ran from Champaign, and at one time extended as far as St. Louis. The track and platforms of

2666-808: The Chicago Children's Advocacy Center, the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chicago Department of Public Health and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. The Tri-Taylor neighborhood lies directly west of the Illinois Medical District. The neighborhood area roughly resembles a triangle with Interstate 290, Ogden Avenue, and industrial railroad tracks west of Western Avenue as

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2752-468: The Great Hall. The 2018–19 renovation restored the historic skylight to its original appearance, and added another glass skylight atop it. The new skylight is better-designed to prevent water and snow damage, and increases light entering the Great Hall. West Loop Gate The Near West Side , one of the 77 community areas of Chicago , is on the West Side , west of the Chicago River and adjacent to

2838-662: The Illinois Terminal are owned by the Canadian National Railway , which acquired the Illinois Central Railroad in 1999. Previously, trains stopped at the Illinois Central Railroad Depot, built in 1925 across University Avenue from the site of the current station. The previous 1899 station still stands, further up the line a few blocks. There is a short term parking lot in front of the building with long term parking available off Water Street east of

2924-589: The Italian restaurants Rosebud, Francesca's, Pompei and Al's No. 1 Italian Beef. There are other schools in this neighborhood. For example, Village Leadership Academy (VLA). Part of the Italian-American population of the neighborhood was displaced in the 1960s and 70s by the construction of UIC's east campus. The university is the source of the current name for the area. The 1980 novel Paper Fish by Tina De Rosa takes place in this community. University Village

3010-458: The Loop . The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 started on the Near West Side. Waves of immigration shaped the history of the Near West Side of Chicago, including the founding of Hull House , a prominent settlement house . The near west side comprises several neighborhoods . In the 19th century railroads became prominent features. In the mid-20th century, the area saw the development of freeways centered in

3096-550: The Loop. Union Station was part of architect Daniel Burnham 's city-wide Plan of Chicago in 1909. On December 25, 1858, the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad opened as far as Van Buren Street in Chicago. It built the first station at what would eventually become today's Union Station on the west bank of the Chicago River . The railroad built a permanent depot at the corner of Canal and Madison streets in 1861. On April 7, 1874, five railroads agreed to build and share

3182-673: The Pink Line in 2006. The Douglas Park branch was part of the Blue Line until it was joined with the Connector to become a part of the Pink Line. Union and Ogilvie stations, major terminals for Metra and Amtrak trains, are on the eastern edge of the Near West Side. The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (AE&C), an interurban , used the Garfield Park branch and Metropolitan main line's tracks in

3268-767: The West Side Center for Disease Control, the office for the Medical Examiner of Cook County, and Chicago Hope Academy (a private Christian high school that opened in the former St. Callistus School in 2005). The United Center opened its doors in 1994, replacing Chicago Stadium , which was located on the opposite side of Madison Street. The United Center is the home arena for the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks . The United Center hosts over 200 events per year and has drawn over 20 million visitors since its opening. The venue can seat between 20,000 and 25,000 people, depending on

3354-498: The area and competed with nearby Italians for business and jobs. The area previously bustled with Greek restaurants but has seen Greek influence decrease as inhabitants moved to Chicago suburbs. Greektown is home to the National Hellenic Museum , the nation's leading museum dedicated to the significant cultural contributions of Greek people. The neighborhood between the Illinois Medical District and UIC's east campus

3440-554: The area to access downtown from 1905 to 1953; however, within Chicago it only boarded westbound passengers and alighted eastbound passengers lest it compete with the "L". Orbitz has its headquarters in the Citigroup Center in the Near West Side. McDonald's moved its headquarters to West Loop in 2018. PepsiCo 's Chicago offices are in the Near West Side. Aeroméxico operates the Chicago Downtown Location on

3526-517: The area. The Garfield Park branch and main line were replaced by the Congress Line in the 1950s, which continues as part of the Blue Line. The Logan Square branch was replaced in revenue service by the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway in 1951, but was retained for non-revenue linkage to the rest of the "L" system as the " Paulina Connector "; it was renovated in the 2000s and reactivated as part of

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3612-537: The borders. The neighborhood is traditionally an extension of the Little Italy neighborhood to its east, although it has consistently been one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago as it was situated on the borders of African American, Irish, Hispanic, and Italian areas. It is a residential area for students from UIC. The neighborhood is also home to the Chicago Technology Park research center as well as

3698-516: The bricked-up windows. The food hall was planned to open in the summer of 2020. The headhouse also includes a Metropolitan Lounge, one of seven Amtrak offers in its stations. The lounge operates like an airport lounge , accessible to business- and first-class passengers, as well as other high-price ticketed passengers. The lounge reopened in June 2016, moving from the concourse to the headhouse. It has two stories and 13,500 square feet (1,250 m ), double

3784-416: The buildings have been converted to loft condominiums, restaurants, bars, and art galleries. Oprah Winfrey 's Harpo Studios were located on Randolph Street; the site is now the recently constructed corporate headquarters of McDonald's . The Fulton River District makes up the north east area of the Near West Side, on the Chicago River just west of the Loop. The related Fulton Market area extends west of

3870-531: The bus staging area without crossing at street level. Union Station has a counter operated by the Greyhound intercity bus company. Tickets are available for purchase, and some Greyhound and Megabus buses pick up passengers on South Canal Street, on the east side of the station building. The full-service Greyhound station is four blocks southwest of Union Station. Union Station was served by lines in all directions even before Penn Central and Amtrak consolidated

3956-632: The central lightwell, vehicular drives, the Great Hall, skylight, and select interior features – balconies, porticos, corridors, lobbies, and stairs. In 2010, Amtrak (the current owners of the Chicago Union Station Company) announced plans to air-condition the Great Hall for the first time since the 1960s. That year a Chicago Tribune investigation revealed high levels of diesel soot on the underground platforms of Union Station. Metra established an "Emissions Task Force" to study this problem and recommend solutions to improve air quality in

4042-621: The districts of Fulton River, Fulton Market, and Greektown. It is approximately bounded by Grand Avenue on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west, the Eisenhower Expressway on the south, and the Chicago River on the east. Popular restaurants line Randolph Street , including Girl and the Goat by Stephanie Izard , and Leña Brava, founded by Rick Bayless who has since departed the establishment. The area has experienced rapid gentrification . A former manufacturing and warehousing area, many of

4128-616: The downtown terminals. The station served as a terminal for the following railroads: Some of these trains and their names have survived to present Amtrak services, such as the Empire Builder , the California Zephyr , and the Hiawatha . The name Ann Rutledge was used by Amtrak as a Chicago-St. Louis-Kansas City route until a name and service consolidation in 2009. There is also a Lincoln Service that operates in Illinois. Located west of Canal Street, Union Station's station building occupies an entire city block. At its center

4214-699: The earliest usage of railway air rights ). The present station opened in 1925, replacing an earlier union station on this site built in 1881. The station is the fourth-busiest rail station in the United States, after Pennsylvania Station , Grand Central Terminal , and Jamaica station in New York City , and the busiest outside of the Northeast Corridor . It handles about 140,000 passengers on an average weekday (including 10,000 Amtrak passengers). It has Bedford limestone Beaux-Arts facades, and an interior with massive Corinthian columns, marble floors, and

4300-462: The east, Racine to the west, and Harrison Street to the north. Taylor Street is part of University Village. Chicago's original produce market sat along the south side of the Chicago River, west of what is now Michigan Avenue . Incoming vessels could bring fruits and vegetables from the states located around the Great Lakes . This market became known as South Water Market because of its location. By

4386-463: The entire length of the train shed and tracks from Union Station north to Fulton Street and south to Polk Street is enclosed by overhead development. Chicago Union Station's train shed, covered by buildings built above the tracks, helped lead locomotives to funnel significant soot and smoke in and around the station. This was unlike Grand Central Terminal, which has only allowed electric trains into its trainshed since opening. The current Union Station

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4472-727: The event. A statue of Michael Jordan stands in the "atrium". The area around the United Center used to be known for its notoriously high crime rate and housing projects off Lake Street and Damen known as the Henry Horner Homes , also known as "the Hornetz nest". Designated Chicago Landmarks in the Near West Side include: In the Chicago City Council , the plurality of the area is within 27th ward, represented by Democrat Walter Burnett Jr. , while substantial parts are located within

4558-512: The first floor at 954 West Washington Boulevard. The Consulate-General of Mexico in Chicago is located at 204 South Ashland Avenue. Previously, Trizec Properties 's headquarters and Chicago-area offices were in 10 S. Riverside Plaza. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) operates public schools. K-8 schools serving the Near West Side include W. Brown, Calhoun North, Dett, Herbert, Washington Irving , King, Mitchell, Otis, Plamondon, Skinner, and Smyth. Crane High School previously served as

4644-476: The flow of traffic in and out of the station. Actual oversight and control of switching and signalling is accomplished by two "train director" positions, one for each side of the station, located in the Amtrak control center in the station's headhouse. Numerous entrances provide access to Union Station's underground platform level. The main entrance is on Canal Street opposite the headhouse, but passengers can also reach

4730-460: The fourth was reproduced. An original mirror and banister were added to the room's north end. The space was improved for events with color-changing lights and an audiovisual system. In 2016, Amtrak held a competition for renovations and development of Union Station. The winner, Riverside Investment & Development Co., proposed multiple changes, including new retail, a food hall, and two 12-story towers. The plans followed an unrealized 2007 plan for

4816-525: The main Chicago Post Office at 433 West Harrison Street in the Near West Side. The post office is the only 24-hour post office in the United States. USPS also operates the Nancy B. Jefferson Post Office at 116 South Western Avenue. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Chicago Field Office is at 2111 W. Roosevelt Road. Interstates 290 and 90 both run through the Near West Side. Their interchange

4902-573: The main station building, one block over. Not all lines and junctions shown Unlike many major American intercity and commuter rail hubs, Union Station does not have any direct connection to local rapid transit service. However, two Chicago "L" stations are within walking distance of Union Station. Metra's other three downtown terminals – the Ogilvie Transportation Center , LaSalle Street Station and Millennium Station – are all within walking distance of Union Station. Passengers connecting from Ogilvie can access Union Station's north platforms on

4988-517: The most complicated architectural programs of the era called the " American Renaissance ", combining traditional architecture with engineering technology, circulation patterning and urban planning . Union Station was hailed as an outstanding achievement in railroad facility planning at the time. During World War II , Union Station was at its busiest, handling as many as 300 trains and 100,000 passengers daily, many of them soldiers. Illustrator Norman Rockwell captured this era with his cover painting for

5074-439: The north and south side, including one with a platform to allow extra long trains to board. Between the north and south sides of the station is a passenger concourse. Passengers can walk through the concourse to get from any platform to any other without stairs or elevators. Odd-numbered platforms (1–19) are on the north half of the station, and even-numbered platforms (2–30) on the south half. The north tracks are used by Amtrak for

5160-401: The opposite side of Madison Street. Numerous CTA bus routes stop directly at Union Station: Union Station Transit Center is located adjacent to Union Station's parking garage. The bus station opened in 2016, on land formerly used for a surface parking lot. It features an elevator and stairway to the Amtrak underground pedestrian tunnel, allowing commuters to pass between Union Station and

5246-489: The original agreement, considered switching to the new station from its Wells Street Station but deferred instead. In 1911 it built the Chicago and North Western Passenger Terminal for its operations. The remaining four original companies used the station when it opened in 1881. The headhouse of the Union Depot, a narrow building, fronted onto Canal Street and stretched from Madison Street to Adams Street. Tracks led into

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5332-496: The plan has been revived in recent years. The Burlington Room is an event space at the northwest of the Great Hall. The room features large columns, chandeliers, four French block murals of landscape scenery, and an original mirror. The space, initially a women's lounge, was restored in November 2016, after years of damage and neglect. For event uses, the space has color-changing lights and an audiovisual system. The headhouse includes

5418-656: The platforms directly from the headhouse via an underground passageway. Two secondary entrances are located in Riverside Plaza near the Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street bridges. On Madison Street, across the street, and one block east from Ogilvie Transportation Center , are a set of entrances to the north platforms. Union Station was designed by D. H. Burnham & Company (known for its lead architect Daniel Burnham , who died before construction began). The successor firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White completed

5504-578: The portion of the Green Line running through the area, has been in operation since 1893. The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad , another company that built the "L", opened several branches of rapid transit in the area in 1895 and 1896. These branches included the Logan Square , Garfield Park , and Douglas Park branches , which all converged into the Metropolitan main line at Marshfield station in

5590-575: The project. The architectural firm was D. H. Burnham & Company (known for its lead architect Daniel Burnham , who died before construction began). The successor firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White completed the work. Work began on the massive project in 1913, and required purchasing adjacent properties and moving freight facilities. Construction stalled during World War I , and resumed in 1919. The station finally opened on May 16, 1925, twelve years after construction began; some viaduct work continued into 1927. The construction cost, funded by

5676-448: The railroad companies involved, was projected to be $ 65 million, but ended up costing $ 75 million. Construction was delayed several times by World War I, labor shortages and strikes. The construction of the station also involved the demolition and relocation of some previously existing buildings such as the Butler Brothers Warehouse along the Chicago River. It is one of about a dozen monumental Beaux-Arts railroad stations that were among

5762-399: The room for travelers to wait for connections, and two specially-designed underground taxicab drives were built to protect travelers from the weather. The room's columns are of textured Roman travertine, with leafy golden Corinthian capitals. The ceilings and insets are coffered, with decorative rosettes. Two statues by Henry Hering — Night and Day — look down on passengers, symbolizing

5848-409: The room was renovated and reopened. An architecture firm removed wooden decking that divided the space into two floors, and took out a drop ceiling that defaced the original ornate ceiling. The work restored the room's columns and chandeliers, including creating several replica chandeliers. The room also has four French block murals of landscape scenery; three of the four were cleaned and preserved, while

5934-405: The shares of Chicago Union Station Company held by Burlington Northern (successor to the Burlington Route) and the Milwaukee Road, becoming sole owner of the station. In the 1990s, Lucien Lagrange Associates made some patchwork renovations, including to the Great Hall and its skylight, which had been blacked-out since World War II. Restoration of Union Station continued. Numerous spaces within

6020-644: The space of the previous lounge. It features different seating areas intended for businesspeople, families and children, and people using phones or tablets. The space has bathrooms with showers, and an elevator. Union Station is laid out with a double stub-end configuration, with 10 tracks coming into the station from the north and 14 from the south. Unlike most of Amtrak's major stations, every train calling at Union Station either originates or terminates there; all passengers traveling through Chicago must change trains to reach their final destination. There are two through tracks to allow out-of-service equipment moves between

6106-555: The state, with a Cook score of D+33, represented by Democrat Luis Gutiérrez . The Near West Side community area has supported the Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections. In the 2016 presidential election , the Near West Side cast 20,622 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 3,094 votes for Donald Trump (82.68% to 12.40%). In the 2012 presidential election , the Near West Side cast 18,068 votes for Barack Obama and cast 4,234 votes for Mitt Romney (79.51% to 18.63%). The United States Postal Service (USPS) operates

6192-492: The station from the south, and platforms occupied a strip of land between the back of the headhouse and the bank of the Chicago River. South of the station, Adams, Jackson, and Van Buren Streets rose over the tracks and the river on bridges. The station, along with its successor, was effectively two back-to-back stub-end terminals. Virtually all trains arriving would terminate there, and passengers traveling further would need to change trains. Growth in passenger traffic, as well as

6278-545: The station had yet to be renovated, and many sat unused, especially within the station building. After the September 11, 2001 attacks , Amtrak closed the pair of taxicab drives in the name of security. Passenger traffic has increased and is exceeding the design capacity of the 1991 renovation. On May 1, 2002, the station was designated a Chicago Landmark , protecting its exterior, rooflines, and public interior spaces from alterations. The status protects all exteriors, rooflines,

6364-695: The station, aiming to accommodate the expected 40 percent growth in passengers by 2040. In the following year, city agencies joined to publish a master plan for renovating and improving Union Station. Short-term goals were to improve station entrances and expand waiting rooms, as well as enhance bus lanes on Clinton and Canal Streets and create a bus terminal (completed in 2016). Goals for the next five to ten years included widening commuter platforms, using unutilized mail platforms (including an extra-long through platform) for intercity passenger trains, adding more through tracks and platforms, reorganizing facilities for better capacity and flow, increasing height clearances of

6450-487: The station, including opening up long-closed spaces and replacing the worn staircases with marble from the original quarry near Rome . In 2016, the women's lounge was restored, renamed the Burlington Room, and opened for use as an events space. The space was initially a women's lounge, and later became an Amtrak warehouse. It then suffered years of neglect and water damage, and was eventually closed off. In November 2016,

6536-410: The tracks, and improving street access to and from the station. Long-term, proposals include increasing capacity and improving the ambiance of the station by significantly expanding or replacing station facilities in the 200 or 300 blocks of South Canal Street. Adding track and platform capacity along Clinton Street or Canal Street was also analyzed. In June 2015, Amtrak announced that it would renovate

6622-557: The tracks. The facility is used by the following transportation companies: [REDACTED] Media related to Illinois Terminal at Wikimedia Commons Chicago Union Station Chicago Union Station is an intercity and commuter rail terminal located in the West Loop neighborhood of the Near West Side of Chicago . Amtrak 's flagship station in the Midwest , Union Station

6708-409: The trains below. An expansion in 1932 made the structure the world's largest post office. The large amount of land above the tracks and platforms has tempted property owners and developers. Possibly inspired by Terminal City , a development built atop New York's Grand Central Terminal 's train shed, Chicago moved to develop the air rights above Union Station's tracks. The first building to be built

6794-404: The underground areas. In 2011, its lighting system was replaced with more energy-efficient light bulbs and motion sensors, reducing the station's annual carbon emissions by 4 million tons. Custom steel lighting covers were added to top these safety/light towers, helping them blend in with the overall neoclassical style of the station. In 2011, the city held a public meeting to discuss goals for

6880-409: The vaulted roof, and several stairways led passengers down to the platforms. The concourse was demolished in 1969 and replaced with an office tower. At the building's center is the Great Hall, a 110-foot (34 m)-high atrium capped by a large barrel-vaulted skylight. The 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m ) room has connecting lobbies, staircases, and balconies. Enormous wooden benches are arranged in

6966-448: The work. The terminal was among the first to anticipate automobile traffic; it was first designed in 1909, one year after the Model T entered production. It was designed with ticket offices, concourses, platforms, waiting and baggage rooms, and shops, all on a single level, meant to be easy to navigate. At opening, the terminal also housed a hospital, chapel, and jail cell. The main building,

7052-504: The zoned high school for the Near West Side. CPS announced in 2012 that Crane was to be converted into a magnet school for medical sciences. Whitney M. Young Magnet High School is also in the Near West Side. Washington Irving School is located in Tri-Taylor. In the 2000–2001 school year, of the area children who attended CPS schools (the figure does not include those who attended private schools nor charter schools), 69% attended Irving. By

7138-780: Was built in 1883. The University of Illinois at Chicago's origins in the District can be traced to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, founded in 1881. In 1917, the State acquired the vacated West Side Park located at Polk and Wolcott for the university. The district is also home to University of Illinois Medical Center , Rush University Medical Center , Rush University , University of Illinois College of Medicine , Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary , UIC College of Dentistry , UIC College of Pharmacy , Jesse Brown VA, The Neuropsychiatric Institute, Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center , Chicago Lighthouse , Illinois Forensic Science Center , West Side CDC,

7224-405: Was constructed beneath the tower. In May 1971, the national railroad Amtrak was formed to take over long-distance passenger train service, while commuter trains remained privately operated. In 1980, the station's Fred Harvey restaurant experienced a large fire. The space was damaged, windows on Clinton Street were destroyed, and the space was left vacant since then. In 1984, Amtrak bought out

7310-565: Was decommissioned in 2011. It was included in Preservation Chicago 's 7 Most Endangered list in 2017 and 2020, as Amtrak has plans to demolish the building. The same architecture firm that designed Union Station also designed the Old Chicago Main Post Office , a post office atop the station's southern tracks. The post office, opened four years before Union Station, utilized the rail system, funneling mail to and from

7396-640: Was that of the Chicago Daily News in 1929. Designed in the Art Deco style, it was the first structure to add a public promenade along the river, which would be named Riverside Plaza . Soon after, in 1932, the new Chicago Main Post Office opened. Also in the Art Deco style, it is a gigantic structure that occupies two full city blocks. The Great Depression and subsequent World War II halted development, but in

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