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Block 37 is a black hole where money and plans go to die, and when you combine those forces with the CTA's money-guzzling abilities, well, it's the financial equivalent of a a shark riding on an elephant's back, just trampling and eating everything they see. Time to call City Hall for a bail-out.
According to Crain's, the city is set to shell out an additional $20 million in TIF money for the el stop under Block 37. But it won't be enough, even on top of the $60-70 million the CTA has already poured into the project, which means the station could be "mothballed," just left to rot in its state of incompletion.
Originally, the superstation, which will connect the Red Line underneath State with the Blue Line under Dearborn Street, was budgeted at $213 million, with the city and CTA providing about $173 million of that. But spending now is estimated at about $320 million — including mothballing costs but excluding what will be needed to complete construction.
Way back when, the station was going to have express trains from Block 37 to O'Hare and Midway, until the CTA found out that building extra tracks would cost about $1.5 billion. [Crain's, image via]
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cursed, i tell you. even if it cursed by nothing but stupidity. currrrsssed.
How could the CTA not realize, all those years ago, that building express trains would cost a shitload of money? In order to be express you need to add new tracks outbound and inbound, underground, through the near NW side, back underground, in the middle of the f'ing Kennedy! How did they possibly think that would not cost $1.5 bill at least? It's a great idea but the project would have been a logistical nightmare.
I woke by this Block 37 building everyday and I can't figure out where the movie theater is going. anyone know?
And it's idotic crap like this that makes it more difficult to win capital funding for real needs: Track repair, replacement of rolling stock, any chance at El line expansion.
Has anyone noticed, but Mayor Daley, with every big project in which he is involved (and make no mistake, he is the guiding hand on every big project in Chicago) ends up horribly overbudget and overschedule? Yet some people still think he is a good manager, including the national press.
Their could be some lawsuits as part of the reason some retail tenants are signing leases down there is because of the foot traffic generated by the trains.
^Though my claim is complete conjecture.
Do those of us who were against this from the get-go get to say I told you so now?
I wonder if we can file a class action against the city, the state and the CTA/RTA for misapprpropriation of funds and general malfeasance? I don't think we can sue for abject stupidity.
i for sure thought the Puma store opening would have saved the entire project.
I don't get it. The CTA knew way back when they started that it was going to cost a bajillion dollars to build the express tracks. Yet they went ahead with the project anyway, because something like "we couldn't afford not to." NOW they're going to use the track expense as an excuse? Uh, YOU KNEW THAT AHEAD OF TIME!
The track expense for the express trains was used awhile ago to drop that program. This is about the existing station that was under construction that they have run out of money to build. Old news and new news.
Do those of us who were against this from the get-go get to say I told you so now?
Yes, you (we) do.
We can say it all we want as we pay higher taxes to make up for such wasteful spending, or wait 30 minutes for a bus, or have our daily commutes screwed up at least once a week because of broken-down equipment, while those lucky enough to be connected in this city sit and watch their banks accounts grow fatter.
Not that I'm cynical or anything.
That's true, now that I think about it, the plan was always for it to be mothballed...just not mothballed AND 50% over budget.
The mothballing is referring to the train station. The express train plan was comlpetely scrapped sometime ago.
About $320 million.
Seriously. How can they justify that price? How? Entire BUILDINGS cost that much!
'Tilda,
No, that doesn't sound too cynical to me. Sound's about right.
well, this isn't so much the CTA's fault.
This is the mayor's fault. He is the ONLY person who thought this is a good idea and ramrodded it through.
Blame the Mayor for this financial boondoggle.
I remember when they decided to scrap the express subway and were going to run express trains on existing tracks, ignoring the fact that there are locals operating on those tracks already.
And they were going to charge upwards of $20 for a trip that costs $2 otherwise.
A financial boondoggle from the gitgo.
In the end, we get an empty, unusable red line station for $370 million. And, for red line riders, the continued annoyance of having to walk that extra distance to Lake or Monroe.
This was the Mayor's doing though. Blame the Mayor. He wanted the "Superstation." The sputtering retard didn't care that there was no way that the city could afford this hugely stupid idea. He didn't care that it would prevent much needed capital work on existing lines. He doesn't care about the people who live here.
He is the WORST big city mayor in America. Thanks to all who voted for him.
It may be a "boondoggle," but don't worry, I have a feeling that this is something Obama can fix. I mean, the press seems to be sold that he will get Chicago the Olympics -- even despite all the asshattery and fuckery the CTA and our dear Mayor and Commissioners pull -- and I'm sure there's a glimmer of hope that if he can win the Election, that the Cubs should be able to win the World Series.
I'm telling you ... just ask Obama and he'll fix it.
Wait, I always understood that Washington would eventually be reopening post-construction, regardless of the use of the superstation (since they did all the work solely to have the non-revenue track connection, or so we're told). Is it permanently closed?