Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Forrest Claypool today unveiled the newly revitalized Harrison Red Line station following the completion of a major modernization project to upgrade the 70-year old station to provide a brighter, cleaner and safer travel environment for the 1.4 million people who use the station each year.

The project work part of a larger, ongoing, comprehensive modernization of the Red Line under Mayor Emanuel’s leadership. Since 2011, nearly one-third of all CTA stations have undergone renovation or are funded and scheduled soon for significant renovation or rehabilitation – an unprecedented number of stations to receive significant investment in just a few years’ time. That includes more than 20 Red Line stations.

“Modernizing our transit system is an investment in Chicago’s future,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Providing students, employees and residents in the South Loop with world-class transit is a critical component to helping growing our region’s economy and increasing the quality of life in Chicago.”

Under the $10 million rehabilitation project, which began in April, crews rehabilitated the three station entrances and the mezzanine area while making additional improvements to the platform area for the 1.4 million people who use it each year.

“Our stations are the front door for the CTA and we’re pleased to continue the unprecedented effort to rebuild and rehab CTA stations under this administration,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool. “We’re pleased to continue to invest in our stations and provide customers with a more comfortable, pleasant commuting experience.”

In an effort to better reflect the surrounding community and the adjacent Jones College Prep High School, the CTA incorporated new colors and modern design elements into the station project plans that are unlike any other seen across the rail system, such as the newly constructed stairwell canopies and the random pattern ceramic tile installed along the stairwells, mezzanine and platform walls. The Harrison station is also the first stationhouse to be fully equipped with all new, brighter and more energy efficient LED lighting.

Other improvements made to the station included waterproofing to reduce pooling of water in mezzanine and platform areas; installation of new granite flooring; new lighting; and repairs to all three station stairways.

In addition, over the next eight weeks, CTA crews will be making additional improvements to the station’s customer information systems, with the addition of new CTA Train Tracker displays in both station mezzanines and along the platform. Crews will also install a new surveillance cameras, blue light telephones and new public address system speakers.

For the project to proceed quickly and safely, the majority of the rehabilitation work was performed in phases, which entailed the temporary closure of each station entrance for 42-days, while crews rehabilitated the stairways, mezzanine areas and portions of the platform – though not at the same time – plus five weekend-only closures of the entire station.

This project was funded solely with tax increment financing available through Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Neighborhoods Now program.

Additional recent Red Line improvement projects include the new $240 million 95th Street Terminal and the $203 million Wilson station, both of which will begin construction this fall, and the completion of the $425 million Red Line South Reconstruction Project last fall, which rebuilt the entire 10-mile South Side branch of the Red Line.

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