$27 million streetscape project will transform Logan Square, officials say

Shortly after taking office at the tender age of 26, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) was approached by Logan Square Preservation, a nonprofit charged with preserving the historic architecture and culture of the burgeoning neighborhood.With plans already in the works to resurface Milwaukee Avenue and an adjacent neighborhood square, why not seize the opportunity to transform the area for residents of and Avondale? They told their new alderperson it would be a “missed opportunity” if all the city did was “throw down new asphalt, put up some new lights and call it a day.”“They said, ‘We have an opportunity to reclaim space from cars and return it back to pedestrians and the public. We have an opportunity to beautify our neighborhood and transform this community for generations to come,” Ramirez-Rosa recalled.On Wednesday, Ramirez-Rosa joined Mayor Brandon Johnson to break ground on a $27 million project nine years in the making that will finally deliver on that vision.It will keep Logan Square Park intact. Milwaukee Avenue will be reconstructed from Logan Square to Belmont, but will no longer divide Logan Square Park. Instead, traffic will circle the park. Kedzie Avenue will be re-routed.A street redesign will mean traffic circles Logan Square Park, which no longer will be cut in half by Milwaukee Avenue. Chicago Department of TransportationA new public plaza known as “La Placita” will be created at Kedzie and Milwaukee to celebrate Latin American culture. Traffic safety will be dramatically improved by seizing space from cars and giving it to pedestrians and cyclists.Transportation Commissioner Tom Carney hailed the long-awaited project for the “safer, more accessible and inviting corridor” it will create with “new and vibrant community public spaces.” The reconfiguration of Logan Square will deliver “a more cohesive and connected” public space surrounded by “protected off-street bicycle paths.”Carney then ticked off the other benefits of a project expected to be complete by the summer of 2026: • La Placita will be created next to the Logan Square Blue Line station.• Wider sidewalks and curb extensions will create more space for outdoor dining and local restaurants.• Raised crosswalks, curb extensions and “pedestrian refuge islands” will “enhance pedestrian safety and encourage safer driving speeds.”• Updated traffic signals will improve traffic flow and safety.• New streetlights and trees will go up in the parkway.Rerouting Kedzie Avenue where it intersects Milwaukee Avenue creates room for a new public plaza, La Placita.Chicago Department of TransportationRamirez-Rosa credited former Mayor Rahm Emanuel for giving him the green light to begin the multiyear design process, adding, “We didn’t agree on a lot. But we did agree on that.”But it was Johnson who brought the project home, Ramirez-Rosa said.The mayor, who in the City Council, returned the compliment and then some.Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (left) and Mayor Brandon Johnson greet each other Wednesday outside the Logan Square Blue Line station before a groundbreaking for improvements to the Logan Square area. Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesRamirez-Rosa after being accused of bullying, intimidating and threatening colleagues as they met to consider a nonbinding resolution on whether voters should decide if Chicago should remain a sanctuary city.“What a real example of leadership the alderman has displayed,” Johnson told the crowd gathered outside the Logan Square Blue Line station.“He’s led with integrity. He’s led with profound conviction. But most importantly, he’s led with love. We are a better city because of Ald. Ramirez-Rosa,” Johnson added, exhorting the crowd to applaud.A pedestrian waits to cross at the street at Milwaukee and Kedzie avenues on Wednesday. Infrastructure improvements planned in the area are intended to make it more pedestrian friendly.Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesAlthough the playing field will be tilted in favor of pedestrians and cyclists, Johnson said he’s confident the $27 million project will ultimately improve safety for “all road users,” calling it “a model for how the city of Chicago will continue to develop and modernize.”“It’s important that we preserve culture. There are some individuals that wish to wipe out culture. But not here in Chicago. In addition, as part of this transformative project, the CTA will redesign and build the main entrance to the Logan Square Blue Line to complement the new public plaza along Kedzie,” the mayor said.“This will allow better access to the station for people of all abilities. It will also help to improve CTA services and, most importantly, reliability,” he said.A cyclist bikes along North Kedzie Avenue in Logan Square on Wednesday. Officials hope a major revamp of the Kedzie-Milwaukee intersection and Logan Square will make the roads more friendly to cyclists and pedestrians while creating more public space and a plaza at around the Blue Line station in the area.Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesRamirez-Rosa closed the celebration by recalling the sometimes rocky road to the groundbreaking.“It was tough. There were people that said, `You can’t take away space from cars and give it to cyclists around the square.’ There were people that said, `You can’t close off Kedzie Avenue to create a new space, La Placita. That’s crazy,’ “ Ramirez-Rosa recalled.“But we got it done. And we know that, when you have major changes like this one — major, positive changes — it always takes a community coming together,” he said.A sign in Logan Square on Kedzie Avenue warns passersby that construction is on the way, though officials say the end result will be well worth it.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times