Business
Amtrak, Labor Leaders Seek to Address Residents’ Concerns Over South Side Railyard Proposal
(Ian Dewar Photography / iStock)
The Chicago Federation of Labor and representatives from Amtrak held a news conference Thursday to tout the benefits of the proposed relocation of a South Side maintenance facility.
The $900 million project would move the Midwest Maintenance Facility to a dormant railyard along South Canal Street from 33rd to 35th streets, next to Rate Field.
Amtrak unveiled the plans last month during a community meeting where officials were met with pushback from residents in Bridgeport, Chinatown and Armour Square. The transportation company argued the site’s current South Loop location is “undersized and fragmented,” adding that a new facility is needed to keep train operations running smoothly across the country.
Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, which represents roughly 500,000 working people in Chicago and Cook County, said Thursday that his organization supports the project.
“Our support comes from a simple place,” Reiter said. “Chicago is the center of the nation’s passenger rail system and the workers responsible for keeping that system running deserve modern, safe and efficient facilities to do their jobs.”
Reiter said the development will create approximately 3,000 jobs during the 18 months of construction, which is set to begin in 2027, and will support roughly 400 permanent jobs once the facility is up and running.
Reiter also addressed concerns from residents over the potential environmental impacts the 24/7 maintenance facility would have on the nearly 7,000 residents who live near the site. The project was previously granted a categorical exclusion from the Federal Railroad Administration, meaning the facility is not required to undergo an independent environmental assessment.
“Those concerns deserve to be heard and addressed,” Reiter said. “The environmental reporting released shows that this project will have no significant effect on air, water, noise, vibration or other environmental factors.”
A Chicago City Council resolution introduced Wednesday requests Amtrak pauses construction plans until full environmental studies are released.
Steven Segerlin, head of commercial development at Amtrak, said the company is planning to fully disclose the studies within the coming days and welcomes an invitation to a subject matter hearing — but noted he has not received one yet. Segerlin added that Amtrak is working with city and state officials to ensure that merited concerns from residents are met.
The City Council has no authority to stop the development from furthering plans for construction.
Residents have raised questions about the true intentions behind the development. The project is funded, in part, by Canal Edge LLC, a development and investment firm owned by Chicago White Sox minority owner Justin Ishbia, who also recently released renderings for a new White Sox stadium that would be built where Amtrak’s current maintenance facility stands.
Reiter said the plans are not connected, adding that if this site doesn’t move under Amtrak, it will become a “heavy freight railyard.”
“Chicago should not have to choose between protecting its neighborhoods, supporting its working people and building a stronger transportation system,” Reiter said.
