Homewood Metra Station To Undergo $14.5M Renovation Over 2 Years

HOMEWOOD, IL — The Homewood Metra stop is getting a $14.5 million facelift after Metra officials announced on Monday that its board of directors had approved the contract for renovations.

The Homewood stop, which is located along the Metra Electric Line, will be renovated and includes the construction of a new, ADA-accessible headhouse and ramp, Metra officials announced. Renovations will be made to the station’s platform, windbreaks, warming house, and gatehouse. The improvements will also include the installation of new drainage, lighting, and interior finishes in the existing 1911 tunnel.

Improvements will also be made to the elevator that connects the tunnel to the platform, Metra officials said. The project will also include the construction of a new Pace bus facility — including a drive aisle, three bus slips, a covered waiting area, and driver relief facilities.

Officials said that the Metra contract was awarded to IHC Construction of Elgin, which is committed to subcontracting 30 percent of the work to DBE firms, officials said. The work is scheduled to begin next spring and will take about 24 months.

“This project represents a significant upgrade to the Homewood Station and its pedestrian tunnel,” said Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “It will not only create a more welcoming, more accessible station and tunnel for Metra and Amtrak customers, but also a more welcoming gateway for Homewood’s downtown retail district and residential areas.”

Officials said that the Metra project follows significant investment by Amtrak to rehabilitate its part of the shared facility. That work added an enclosed ramp on the west side of the tracks, allowing all customers to access the tunnel under the tracks to both the Amtrak and the Metra train platform, other ADA improvements to the unique former Illinois Central Railroad station.

The station was built in 1923 to include the waiting areas and restrooms and a level path between the building, parking, and the stairway and ramp entrance to the tunnel. The project is part of the Metra Electric Community Initiative, a transformative, multiyear plan to renovate and make accessible 13 stations on the Metra Electric Line through the South Side and south suburbs.
Homewood and Metra pursued federal Shared Transportation Program funds to support the construction of the project, officials said on Monday. The project was awarded $9.25 million of federal STP funds and local matching funds were provided as required to secure the discretionary grant.
The rehabilitation of the station will also be funded with the support of Pace, Cook County, and other funding sources.