The Metra Board of Directors today approved a $3.1 million contract to renovate the historic Blue Island Vermont Street Station on the Rock Island Line.
The contract was awarded to IHC Construction of Elgin, which committed to meeting a DBE goal of 25 percent. Construction is expected to begin this fall and take about a year.
“We are pleased that we will be creating a more welcoming, more comfortable experience for Rock Island Line customers while still retaining the historic nature of this facility,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “The riders of My Metra deserve nothing less.”
The depot, at 2300 W. Grove St. in Blue Island, 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.