Plan in works for second station upgrade in Libertyville?
A $1.1 million dollar makeover of the Metra train station in downtown Libertyville is eagerly anticipated, but it is not the only stop in town village officials would like to see upgraded.
The trailer that serves as the Milwaukee North line's Prairie Crossing south station was considered temporary when it opened in 2004, but 13 years later it remains at the stop near Harris Road and Route 137 in the far northwest part of town.
"Metra keeps putting off on that," said Mayor Terry Weppler. "It's been on our list for awhile."
Prairie Crossing south is the village's second commuter station on the Milwaukee North line that runs from Fox Lake to Chicago, and the third in the village. Metra's Prairie Crossing on the North Central line from Antioch to Chicago sits about 1,200 feet away.
The station, as well as an access road and parking lot, was built as an alternative to more crowded stations in downtown Grayslake and Libertyville. It also was expected to spur development of 16 acres nearby with condos, shops and office buildings.
The trailer, considered at the time a warming house, eventually was to be replaced with a permanent structure. That still has not materialized, however.
Metra says a new Prairie Crossing station is in the cards, but the timing is not set.
"We are making plans to replace the trailer with a permanent building," said spokesman Michael Gillis.
"We hope to begin design this fall and complete it in the spring of 2018. Construction would follow but would be dependent on funding," he added.
The new station is likely to be similar to the one on the North Central line but bigger, Gillis said.
Weppler said the village currently does not have the funding to pay for that project.
In the meantime, work on the downtown station is advancing. Metra will contribute $300,000 and the village will use commuter parking fees to pay for the rest of the estimated $1.1 million cost.
Plans have been reviewed by the village and Metra, and the work is expected to go out for bid within a week or so. The objective is to award a contract by mid-September, said Rick Swanson, a Lake Forest architect hired to design the station.
The station is considered an important feature for an adjoining residential development planned by Swanson on what is known as the Trimm property. Construction on that project could begin next year, Swanson said.
Meanwhile, the village on Tuesday approved a $259,131 contract with A-Lamp Concrete Contractor to rehab the parking lot serving the North Central station.