Dignitaries Celebrate Reopening of CTA Damen Green Line Station

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval R. Carter, Jr., Chicago DOT (CDOT) Commissioner Tom Carney, local dignitaries, and Near West Side stakeholders recently at the re-opening of the new CTA Damen Green Line station at Lake Street and Damen Avenue. The new station addresses a longstanding need for improved transit options on the Near West Side that benefits residents, supports local growth and job creation in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, and accommodates large crowds attending events at the nearby United Center.

“Damen Green Line is more than a rail station, it is a stunning, modern, and accessible gateway to Chicago’s West Side that will provide improved connections to transit and opportunities for all those who live and work in the surrounding communities,” said Carter, Jr. “This project is a reflection of the CTA’s and city’s shared commitment to ensuring everyone has equitable access to opportunities.”

The new Damen Green Line station fills a 1.5-mile service gap between Ashland and California stops, restoring rail service to the neighborhood for the first time since the original station was closed at this location in 1948. The station serves the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, the United Center, Malcolm X College, and the surrounding residential area on the growing Near West Side. This includes the Chicago Housing Authority’s Westhaven Park IID, a $50 million, equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) project adding 96 mixed-income apartments in the community.

“This new station is a transformational achievement for our city,” said Mayor Johnson. “The long-awaited Damen Green Line on the Near West Side of Chicago will have a multiplying effect on the neighborhood, attracting future investments for a vibrant hub of multi-use developments.”

The $80 million TIF-funded project was administered by CDOT in close collaboration with CTA. Station materials and design elements were chosen and arranged to create an intuitive user experience and to allow for a long-lasting transit facility with low-maintenance requirements. A grand stair and escalator, visible through the transparent glass façade, guide passengers to the platform level. A glass bridge connects the inbound and outbound train platforms, offering views of the Chicago skyline and orienting visitors to neighborhood destinations and attractions. The bridge’s visible structure references Chicago’s iconic steel bridges.

The new station also features a large mural by the artist Folayemi Wilson that highlights the history of various ethnic groups on the Near West Side. The mural depicts a scene on the prairie with images of young people taken from local photographic archives peering toward the horizon and imagining their future.