I'm excited to announce we've officially wrapped up our Corridor Development Initiative in Logan Square—please see the final report and the appendix here.
Since the final meeting on Sept. 30, 2014, MPC staff and volunteers have been hard at work analyzing participants' many creative proposals for the Logan Square CTA Blue Line station plaza and adjacent parking lot. With more than 370 individual attendees, 333 online survey respondents and nearly 200 text polling participations, this was no easy task. The specific recommendations, financing specifications and design details can be found in the final report, but here's a summary of the primary recommendations:
- The station plaza and parking lot should be developed, but buildings on them should not rise higher than six stories.
- The preferred use of the sites is a combination of affordable housing, green space and a community space that potentially supports an indoor farmers market.
- Parking should be reduced significantly, while retaining a minimal amount for any future development and public use.
MPC’s commitment to equitable transit-oriented development continues and we’ll be working with 35th Ward Alderman Rey Colón, City of Chicago, Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago Dept. of Transportation staff to ensure the community’s vision becomes a reality. The City and Alderman’s commitment to this process has been immense, and MPC will continue to work closely with the these entities to ensure the community’s vision for the Milwaukee corridor is reflected in future redevelopment plans for the Logan Square Blue Line station area.
As the housing market recovers and construction projects rebound, the importance of engaging communities to plan for new growth and development becomes even more critical. MPC continues to favor smart growth near transit, jobs and retail and looks forward to working with additional communities and leaders in 2015 to realize our vision.