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open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
pizza logger
()
Date: September 27, 2011 09:46PM
i've always wondered what ever occupied this area. it's such a large piece of land to go undeveloped. from google earth you can see what looks to be old roads and large expanses of concrete in places. does anyone know what was ever there?
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: September 27, 2011 11:39PM
It was railroad land with trackage, buildings, etc. I don't know who currently owns it (still might be railroad property) but there's been a stoplight and a unfinished, dead-end intersection on Clark just south of Roosevelt for some time, as if it will someday connect to something on that land.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: September 27, 2011 11:45PM
Here's a photo from 1970, looking south from roughly the same vantage point:
[url=http://www.flyerguide.net/viewphoto.php?id=353842&nseq=14]1970 View South[/url]
The cold storage warehouse on the left of the photo is now condos.
[url=http://www.flyerguide.net/viewphoto.php?id=353842&nseq=14]1970 View South[/url]
The cold storage warehouse on the left of the photo is now condos.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
222psm
()
Date: September 28, 2011 11:00AM
As WayOutWardell said it was railroad property owned by the B&O to connect to Grand Central station at the corner of Harrison and Wells, more info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Station_%28Chicago%29
and here:
http://forgottenchicago.com/articles/south-shore-bo-spur/
The land the station stood on was owned by CSX but was sold to developers, so CSX may still own the land at Roosevelt and Clark. they (CSX) still owns the bascule bridge stuck in the open position. because it shares a common third counterweight with the bridge next to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Station_%28Chicago%29
and here:
http://forgottenchicago.com/articles/south-shore-bo-spur/
The land the station stood on was owned by CSX but was sold to developers, so CSX may still own the land at Roosevelt and Clark. they (CSX) still owns the bascule bridge stuck in the open position. because it shares a common third counterweight with the bridge next to it.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
Deejo
()
Date: September 29, 2011 02:30AM
Great Reader essay by Upski Wimsatt about the "South Loop" in general - this area included - in the late '80's and early '90's, after the railroads had largely left but before development had occurred:
http://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-urban-frontier/Content?oid=878644
The same essay appeared a few years later in Wimsatt's book Bomb the Suburbs.
http://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-urban-frontier/Content?oid=878644
The same essay appeared a few years later in Wimsatt's book Bomb the Suburbs.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: September 29, 2011 11:31AM
I'll have to scan the pictures I took there in the late 80's - the remnants of the oxbow in the river and old railroad embankments are still really prominent. My pictures were taken on a cloudy day with fog and you could forget that you were in the heart of one of North America's largest cities. I'd hope when the site gets developed that it'll make use of those features, but I'm not holding my breath.
Billy Wimsatt tagged practically every lightpost in Hyde Park with his bomb the suburbs stuff back in the late 80's. I think you can still see his stickers on some lightpoles, unfortunately.
Billy Wimsatt tagged practically every lightpost in Hyde Park with his bomb the suburbs stuff back in the late 80's. I think you can still see his stickers on some lightpoles, unfortunately.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
ghidorah2003
()
Date: September 29, 2011 05:57PM
The land near Roosevelt and Clark led northward to Dearborn Station on Polk St. The primary tenant at Dearborn Station was the Santa Fe Railway.
The B&O railroad went to Grand Central station on Harrison Street. This was west of Clark Street. You could see the station from the Eisenhower Expressway until the early 70's when it was razed.
The B&O railroad went to Grand Central station on Harrison Street. This was west of Clark Street. You could see the station from the Eisenhower Expressway until the early 70's when it was razed.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
nvaughn
()
Date: September 30, 2011 05:51PM
[url=http://www.areachicago.org/p/issues/peripheral-vision/brownlands/]http://www.areachicago.org/p/issues/peripheral-vision/brownlands/[/url]
A semi-recent (2009) article about the site--it goes into a bit of detail about the plans for development there, and why it hasn't happened. Also, people like to have parties there sometimes.
A semi-recent (2009) article about the site--it goes into a bit of detail about the plans for development there, and why it hasn't happened. Also, people like to have parties there sometimes.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
jak378
()
Date: September 30, 2011 06:12PM
As someone else stated these were the lead in tracks to the Dearborn Street Station, and also part of the tracks to Central Station. The trackage connected to Santa Fe's coach yard and diner commisary at Archer and Cermak/18th Street, parts of which are still used by Amtrak.
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
Business7007
()
Date: March 23, 2013 01:16AM
As hard as it may to believe the actual owner of Dearborn Station and the tracks leading to it was the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad. Much of the open ground referred to in this post was their property for coach yards while the station served multiple tenant railroads
Re: open land at SW corner of clark and roosevelt along the river
Posted by:
Mr Downtown
()
Date: March 24, 2013 05:20PM
Actually, the part we're discussing (the "Riverside Park" parcel) was owned by the Rock Island and the B&OCT, and served LaSalle Street and Grand Central stations.
The C&WI yards that served Dearborn Station were all south of 16th/St Charles Air Line.
The C&WI yards that served Dearborn Station were all south of 16th/St Charles Air Line.
