Metra CEO Pete Muscarella, Alex Clifford, SSMMA Executive Director Edward Paesel, State Sen. Maggie Crotty, Oak Forest Mayor Hank Kuspa, Oak Forest City Administrator Troy Ishler, Oak Forest City Clerk Scott Burkhardt, Oak Forest Community Development Director Adam Dotson and Legat Architect Ted Haug.
After more than three years of applications, planning and fundraising, officials from Oak Forest, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Metra and the state legislature broke ground on a new $3.3 million Metra train station on Oct. 25, 2012.
“I was hoping to break ground at the end of July, but here we are,” said Oak Forest Mayor Hank Kuspa.
“We’re probably the last out here to get a new station, “ added Oak Forest Director of Community Development Adam Dotson.
The new 1700-square-foot station is expected to be completed in April 2013. It is funded in part by $1.3 million from Metra via Federal Transit Authority grants, $1 million from the City of Oak Forest and $1 million from SSMMA’s Surface Transportation Program (STP).
The station will replace the existing one which has a leaky roof, antiquated rest room fixtures and inadequate space to keep many winter time commuters warm and dry.
This and other transit-related projects are a part of SSMMA’s Green TIME Zone strategy, a philosophy that drives much of SSMMA’s programs and partnerships to achieve a robust, sustainable southland region that attracts global investment and thriving communities. To achieve this, development or redevelopment plans are oriented around new and existing Transit, Intermodal, and Manufacturing structures to support Environmental sustainability.
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