Urbs in Horto: Bloomingdale Trail is becoming a reality

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Be Chicagood

Mayor Rahm is focusing on really making Chicago live up to its motto: “Urbs in Horto”, which means City in the Garden, by announcing over 800 new city projects aimed at revamping old parks, playgrounds and basketball courts. One in particular that stands out is the Bloomindale Trail, and it’s definitely looking like a reality. The trail took a significant step forward Thursday night when three design firms unveiled a carefully conceived, long-range plan meant to guide its development.

The plan for the trail has been in talks for over a decade and concrete proposals were introduced to build the trail when Chicago was bidding for the 2016 Olympics. There were concerns that the trail would never come to fruition but the Mayor is going ahead with it and it looks like we’re going to get a beautiful alternative trail for bikes and jogging that will compliment the lake shore trails, only of course, this trail would run through neighborhoods and be more low key. The trail is a sweet 2.65 miles along Bloomingdale Road turning a dormant stretch of an elevated railroad line on the Northwest Side into a lively multiuse path and park that would run from Ashland Avenue (1600 west) to Ridgeway Avenue (3732 west). It is expected to link Logan Square with Humboldt Park, Wicker Park and Bucktown.

City officials say they have secured more than $37 million in federal anti-congestion and air-quality funding for the project’s $46 million first phase.  The remaining $9 million is to be raised privately. Construction could start next year, with portions of the project opening in 2014. The plan will also create 1200 jobs.

This is a fantastic redevelopment and imagination of unused land. It has been highly praiseworthy and the talks developed from the project has everyone excited. Now that the city has been able to secure funding, it is becoming more of a reality and we can’t wait to see this new trail adding to our already ambitious plans of developing the largest urban parks system in the America as well as becoming America’s next big bike city. Chicago is really gearing to becoming the world class city of tomorrow. As a great Architect and developer of Chicago, Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.”

 

Bloomingdale Trail is Chicagood!

 

 

For more information visit the Bloomingdale Trail website.

VIA: WGN
Chicago Tribune