Elmhurst Candidates Divided On Train Station

ELMHURST, IL – Some candidates for Elmhurst city offices expressed reservations last week about building a new train station, although the mayor stands behind it.

Over the last few years, the project has been continually delayed. Since 2020, its estimated cost has nearly doubled to $47.3 million.

But city officials say the city has obtained grants from the federal government and other entities totaling $35 million.

Elmhurst would pick up the remaining $12 million. The city said it would go into debt and pay back the money from a downtown tax increment financing district, or TIF.

During a League of Women Voters candidate forum, mayoral candidate Mark Mulliner, a former longtime alderman who served until 2023, said his view on the train station has changed since the city first looked into it.

With the pandemic, train use has plunged and not returned to 2019 levels, he noted.

"Do we need a new train station at this time? I think it's another one of those things we need to pause and see whether or not we're going to see that increase in traffic begin to occur again going to downtown (Chicago)," Mulliner said. "We don't need to replace the train station."

He continued, "We may need to fix it up. Give Pilot Pete's (coffee shop) a little more room, make it a little prettier on the inside. But right now, we don't need to spend another $30 million to $40 million on a train station."

Mayor Scott Levin said the current station, built in the 1960s and updated in the 1980s, fails to meet energy and accessibility codes and suffers from inadequate heating and cooling.

"People are being called back to the office. We have to look at what the future will be," he said. "If we don't build the train station now, it's highly unlikely we'll ever get the tens of millions of dollars of grant funds that we have right now. If we don't use them, we'll lose them."

The station project is expected to include warming shelters, a pedestrian tunnel, a platform reconstruction and surface parking improvements.

Officials now say the project is set to start in 2026.

Here are the views expressed by alderman candidates during the forum:

Ward 2

• Alderman Jacob Hills described himself as "a little conflicted" on the train station. He said the city has a lot of grant money for the project, so the city's part is relatively minor. But he said ridership is down. "I don't know if it's going to return to pre-pandemic levels. So one could say the station is kind of up to the task of supporting the ridership that's there. That being said, I don't want the funds to expire if we're not using them," he said. He said he liked the current station. "I'm not completely convinced of the need for a new one at this time," he said.
• Kevin Kirby said the city should move forward with the project. He acknowledged ridership was down, but said he doesn't just see the train station as just for commuters. "It really is the gateway to our city. People decide if they want to ride the train, and they want to have dinner in Elmhurst. Their first impression of Elmhurst is from that train, so I think it's vital that we have a station that welcomes them to Elmhurst," he said.

Ward 4

• Bobby Fontana said he understood the train station would require a lot of debt. "Finding the right time and spot to take on that (debt) and fit it into the budget is going to be a primary concern," he said.
• Mike Baker said he was grateful the city had an opportunity to build a new train station. He said a new train station would help the community grow.

Ward 5

• Adam Park said a new train station would be an investment in Elmhurst. It brings people to Elmhurst's downtown to shop and dine, he said. "I'm confident the investment in the train station would benefit all citizens of Elmhurst," he said.
• Dan Virgil said he had concerns with the timing of the project. "The police station has a number of defects. The train station, although it's older and a little bit small, doesn't have any significant defects. I'm a little concerned about jumping in to do a replacement of that," he said.