City of Blue Island Think Outside the Loop
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October 13, 2021 – Blue Island Mayor Fred Bilotto announced today that Metra Board of Directors approved a $3.1 million contract to renovate the historic Vermont Street Station on the Rock Island Line.
The depot, 2300 W. Grove St., was built in 1868. It serves as a station on the Rock Island mainline and as the southern end of the line’s Beverly Branch, and was used by about 600 customers each weekday before COVID.
The work will include a complete interior renovation; renovation of the roof including the replacement of gutters and downspouts; the reconstruction of the original chimneys; rehabilitation of wooden eave supports; replacement of all doors and windows; custom brick replacement and masonry staining; asbestos and lead-based paint abatement; new landscaping and site improvements; sidewalk and crosswalk improvements and repairs to meet ADA compliance for accessible routes; and new wayfinding and intermodal signs.
The work is being funded by a grant from the RTA’s Innovation, Coordination, and Enhancement (ICE) program.
