Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and local officials broke ground on the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) new Cermak Green Line station, a $50 million construction project that will energize the area around McCormick Place and provide a crucial additional transportation option for the Near South Side.

The $50 million station is part of $92 million in overall transportation investments, including the rehabilitation of the Roosevelt and Harrison stations on the Red Line and the 18th Street Connector, which will significantly revitalize the near south side of the city.

The 18th Street Connector, which carries Orange Lines trains to and from the Loop, is undergoing $25 million in renovations, while the Harrison street station ($10 million) and Roosevelt Road ($7 million) are also being improved, to bring to a total of $92 million in new investment to the area. Billions of dollars are currently being put toward transit improvements throughout Chicago, which will reshape the infrastructure of the city for decades to come.

The future Green Line station at Cermak will be the first station at that location since 1977. This new station fills in a major gap in CTA service that has existed at McCormick Place since the station was demolished. It is part of $4 billion in investments ongoing in the CTA system alone.

The Cermak station will be the 146th CTA station. The construction project is being managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. The station will be located near the intersection of Cermak Avenue and State Street and directly west of the McCormick Place convention center.

The new station will be located in the two-mile stretch between the existing Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT Green Line stations and will provide much needed access to rapid transit for neighborhood residents and businesses, including McCormick Place.

The Cermak-McCormick station, which is financed with $50 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds, will include three entrance points – one on each side of Cermak Road and one at 23rd Street. The main station building will be built on the north side of Cermak road, equipped with modern amenities such as elevators, bike racks, state-of-the-art security and enclosed boarding platforms.