Cermak-McCormick Place
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The grand new Cermak-McCormick Place Station was completely rebuilt re-opened on the Green Line on February 8, 2015, replacing a station that previously existed from June 8, 1892 to September 9, 1977. The new station (the old station was completely demolished) cost $50 million dollars and diminished what was a 2 and a half mile gap between stations on the Green Line. The Cermak-Chinatown stop on the Red Line is just a few blocks east of this station so the neighborhood was still served by the 'L' but just a different line.
The new station consists of an extremely snazzy island platform, with the central core of the platform and tracks (over wide Cermak Roade) surrounded by metallic walls, leading up to a glass ceiling allowing for interesting light and shadows to hit the platform below, that lacks a single column in its central section. Extending from this tube the platform extends in each for a couple car lengths, becoming a side platform with the supports held up along what is there a platform edge. Trains stop short of trains in the opposite direction. Northbound trains stop a few car lengths north of southbound ones, with each direction getting it's own side platform. At these platform ends is where two staircases and an elevator (at each end) lead down to the exits from the platforms. The northern end leads down to just the northside of Cermak Road with low-level turnstiles. The southern end leads down immediately to high exit turnstiles out to the south side of Cermak Road and an enclosed corridor that continues south (way beyond the end of any platforms above) to another station house and the north side of 23 Street. This station house has high-level turnstiles, but also a wheelchair gate. The two entrances to Cermak Road each have silver compasses in the sidewalk orienting arriving passengers to Chinatown and McCormick Places. There are also large decorative black letters and smaller sivler signs on the columns holding up the elevated orienting arriving passengers to the same destinations.
All Photos taken on 3 August, 2016
