Metra puts Auburn Park Station construction contract out for bid

Metra yesterday put the construction contract for the Auburn Park Station project out for bid.

The station will be built on the Rock Island Line in the Auburn Gresham community on Chicago's south side.

The new station is expected to 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, Metra officials said in a news release. The fully accessible station will feature:

• a large landscaped plaza with bicycle racks, benches, trees and a canopy;
• a new vendor building with glass storefronts;
• a living green wall along the existing retaining wall;
• a staircase and two elevators between the street and platform levels;
• a 480-foot-long platform with a polycarbonate canopy;
• a snow melt system that will keep the platform clear without the need for deicing chemicals; and
• a new 80-space parking lot featuring a kiss-n-ride drop-off area, landscaped islands and trees.

Metra will host a networking event on May 25 for disadvantaged business enterprise firms and prime construction companies to meet and discuss building a relationship for the station project.