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Saturday, August 2, 2025
115th & Michigan
Thursday, May 29, 2025
110th/Michigan back in 1912 #tbt
I found this through the Roseland Chicago FB group with this caption:
Black and white HR Koopman postcard showing Michigan Avenue in Roseland looking south from 110th Street, 1912. Chicago's other "Magnificent Mile".
I wish we could bring back the hustle & bustle to this street. In my own research I've learned longtime residents at least before "white flight" would refer to Michigan Avenue as The Avenue. You see from one of the signs here to the right.
This is about how this same area looks now via Google Streetview in 2011. You head south on Michigan Avenue from 110th Street you see a bend, especially near that storefront that used to be Major Motors on the east side of the street.
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Thursday, May 15, 2025
#tbt South Michigan Avenue 1970s
Actually I don't know when this photo was taking. I presume 1970s looking at the cars.
Earlier on Thursday "business" took me into Roseland and decided to snap a few shots. I can't stand the ruin porn, a lot of vacant storefronts.
You see that Hillman's sign? That used to be a grocery store. This is a block or so north of 115th Street. The old Hillman's store faces a Chicago Fire Department firehouse. The only grocery store appears to be home to a medical facility of some sort.
And this isn't that far away from the Red Line Extension to be built near 115th & Michigan.
In fact to give credit where credit is due, this photo was shared on the Red Line Extension FB page.
Also allow me to announce you can now find Ninth Ward Chicago on TruthSocial & BlueSky. You can always follow us via @TheSixthWard on X formerly known as Twitter, although perhaps it's time to change the handle there.
Friday, April 18, 2025
The Red Line extension: It's starting
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Red Line Extension |
With preliminary work underway, transit officials say the long-awaited Red Line Extension is set to break ground early next year.
The $5.7 billion, 5.6-mile Red Line Extension project would move the south end of the Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street. The CTA plans to build stations at 103rd and 111th streets near Eggleston Avenue, at Michigan Avenue near 116th Street and at 130th Street near the Altgeld Gardens public housing project.
Officials with the CTA and contractor Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners updated neighbors on the project Thursday during a Meet the Contractor session at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 211 E. 115th St. in Roseland.
Groundbreaking is set for early 2026, and the project will be split into six zones, said Rob Cheeseman, construction manager for the project with Walsh Construction and senior project manager for Walsh-VINCI.
The project is said to be in it's design phase and currently prep work such as demolition, utility relocation, and soil sampling is underway. A lot of buildings were condemened in the areas where the extension is to be built.
Construction will begin in the middle of the route. Crews will start from 106th Place to 118th Street — including two new stations at 111th Street and Michigan Avenue — then from 99th Place to 106th Place along Eggleston Avenue, with a new station at 103rd Street.
From there, crews will complete the remaining segments from north to south:
- The existing 95th Street-Dan Ryan terminal to the Interstate 94/Interstate 57 interchange.
- Interstate 94 to 99th Place.
- 118th Street to 120th Place, including a bridge over the Metra Electric tracks.
- 120th Place to 132nd Street, including the new 130th Street-Altgeld Gardens terminal.
Also
Much like the North Side’s Red-Purple Modernization project, two bridges for the Red Line Extension will incorporate pre-cast segments that will be built off-site. This will allow construction to be completed in a “much faster fashion” than traditional methods, Cheeseman said.I can't believe it, it's starting and very soon!
...
One resident asked project leaders to prioritize plant life along the extension route and at the four new Red Line stations.
The CTA and construction teams will return to neighborhoods near the new stations for public input sessions later this year, and residents can share their ideas for greenery, benches and other aspects of the station developments, said Tammy Chase, CTA director of communications.
Friday, March 28, 2025
Current pics of Jones Hamburgers
Thursday, March 27, 2025
May 2008: Mama J's #Ward09 #tbt
Originally posted to The Sixth Ward on May 14, 2008. And with some of the shots around Roseland Heights taken over the years I wouldn't mind trying to recreate some of these shots!
Perhaps I might do that in the near future. I do know that this place didn't always look like this and that this place certainly doesn't have the window lettering it does now! It's been a while since I paid attention to this place.
Here's a shot of this place now!
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Chicago Transit Tours: 103rd Street/Rosemoor Station Tour
[VIDEO] This video from Chicago Transit Tours is only one day old of the newly refurbished 103rd Street Metra Electric station. Officially the station is 103rd St./Rosemoor and the entrance is at the east corner of 103rd & Dauphin.
I like the more inviting entrance which is right off of Dauphin, as opposed to having the reach the platform under the viaduct as was the case for most of the Metra Electic stations on the south side. A platform where you can wait for a train in inclement weather, though you can also wait in an enclosed space on the platform or wait at street-level where you can either take an elevator or stairs to the platform.
Per another video about these Metra Electric station improvements shared on this blog earlier this month, these same improvements are coming to 95th and 87th. The necessary work at 79th Street had already been completed.
I have some other comments which I would share at a later date. However, these improvements might be great for those who prefer to take the Metra Electric for their commutes to and from downtown Chicago.
Monday, March 10, 2025
CharlieBo313: Chicago south side Roseland hood/Wild 100s
[VIDEO] CharlieBo on YouTube driving around Roseland primarily along South Michigan Avenue from as far south as 119th Street to about 108th Street. That YouTuber primarily drives around urban areas, seemingly decaying urban areas.
One could look at South Michigan Avenue as a decaying area, however, I like to look at what could be. A lot of vacant lots and boarded up buildings, houses, etc. Fortunes could change and as it seems has been said a lot on this page with the Red Line extension there's an opportunity there.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
The RoseBowl in Roseland #tbt
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11517 S. Michigan Ave |
Years and years ago on Michigan Avenue, Roseland had a bowling alley. You could take the bus there directly on Michigan. If I could single-handedly redevelop the Michigan Avenue drag it would be somewhere that is walkable.
Go to the movies, restaurants, retail, professional services, etc right on Michigan Avenue and some other streets such as 111th or 115th. If this business still existed could it benefit from the Red Line extension?
The RoseBowl itself I had to Google where it was located and the address is posted below the photograph. Unfortunately today it's just another vacant lot right across the street from yet another vacant lot. Though since I mentioned the Red Line extension, one day this might be part of transit-oriented development.
Photo found via VanishedChicagoland on FB.
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Clean out your closets for Rosemoor Community Association, Inc
We're almost at the end of February and Saturday is the first day of March. Time to start thinking about Spring Cleaning. Here's a flyer below for more information on the Rosemoor Community Association fundraiser.
Feel free to call them for more info at 773-264-0783
E-mail them at connect@rosemoorchicago.org
Visit their website at www.rosemoorchicago.org
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Three Sisters on Michigan Avenue #tbt
Another photo found through the Roseland History Facebook group. This photo is undated though I do remember the Three Sisters chain which had locations throughout the city.
This photo I really like because these days the shopping area on Michigan Avenue seems depressed boarded up and those business that are open are often locked up with burglar bars when they're closed for the evening. And you see wide open windows with displays and this would be a nice thing to find in the neighborhood at least for those businesses which would be benefit from this.
Friday, October 11, 2024
#fbf Gately's People's Store
The above photo is undated probably 1960s or 1970s. As you may know this building was lost after a fire back in the summer of 2019. The fire created a vacant lot.
I found this photo in the Roseland History FB group. Some recall donuts in the basement of this store. Another commented that they want to bring back "The Ave" which is what they called the shopping strip along South Michigan Avenue.
I'm curious what happened to the Gately's sign as it was an easily recognizable landmark that perhaps many took for granted even if the store itself had long ago closed.
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Roseland Plaza 115th & Michigan #tbt #Ward09
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Via VanishedChicagoland FB |
Of course as you can see by the cars here, this is a vintage photograph. Coffee Pot is likely in the foreground. And then the National grocery store you see in the background here.
Once the Red Line is built in this area, here's hoping we can have this block brought back to life again in the future. Retail, restaurants, hopefully some other services.
Monday, July 22, 2024
Is the Red Line extension worth it?
[VIDEO] Just found this video this morning and discusses some thing I knew was going to happen.
For example we know that bus service through the affected areas of the Red Line extention will change. Bus routings will either be combined, extended or even eliminated. So the proposed routings we see here such as extending buses into Indiana aren't very likely.
I would like to see more utilization of Metra Electric service especially within those areas that won't be directly served by CTA extension. Especially in the South Chicago/South Shore area and certainly going into West Pullman and Blue Island - further west.
And transit oriented development. I don't know about developing high density projects. High rises for example or even developing say a new neighborhood. Roseland and Altgeld Gardens aren't very desirable areas anyway.
I would say the lot at 115th/Michigan - where a stop will be located would be a great possibility for a multi-use development. I'm thinking certainly housing and retail - perhaps another grocery store and certainly businesses with the commuter in mind. So I think in that area that's a possibility of developing something that might work for the area.
Also I'd be curious how the YouTuber - BurjTransit - gets these numbers 38,000 riders are expected to use this extension once it's online. However, it's more likely that 6,000 rides would utilize the services. I'm sure the 38K comes from CTA's projection itself.
However, let's note as he had that the Red Line ridership hasn't been great post-pandemic. CTA as a whole has issues as far as rail service and certainly if you've had to take a bus anywhere in recent years.
What are your thoughts on the CTA extension? What do you think it would bring to this part of Chicago's south side?
Friday, June 7, 2024
J.C. Penney in Roseland #fbf
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Summer Clear-Out Fair #Ward09
- Prescription drug disposal
- electronic recycling
- shredding
Thursday, October 19, 2023
It's like looking into another world - 115th & Michigan 1965
There has to be more photos of this shopping center that existed on the SW corner of 115th & Michigan. It had been torn down in the 2000s. There was a restaurant here known as The Coffee Pot. Once there was a Christian bookstore where the pharmacy was, well the pharmacy you see here in this 1965 photograph.
Back in the late 80s to early 90s it was a Perry Drug Store, what was it during the 1960s?
And that building compared to the strip mall that's there now - and seemingly vacant once home to a Hollywood Video store - well it's an improvement if it hadn't been torn down for that strip mall.
At least the lot where the former Roseland Plaza is located can be prime real estate once the Red Line extension is in service.
If you haven't had a chance join the Roseland History FB group.
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Red Line extension gets $2 billion, one step closer to reality
Well this is what the Sun-Times says that $2 billion is pledged towards.
The $3.7 billion Red Line extension has “advanced to the final phase” of the painstaking, federal funding process. The feds are making a $2 billion commitment to cover half the cost and authorizing CTA to advance to the engineering stage, which CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. called the “final step ... in order to begin construction.”Here's a WGN story about this which aired on the news yesterday. It features comments from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Mayor Brandon Johnson, CTA Pres. Dorval Carter, and Ald. Anthony Beale as he will benefit from this new L branch. [VIDEO]
The CTA hopes to award an engineering and construction contract and begin preliminary work before the end of this year, then reach the final step — a full-funding grant agreement with the feds. That would pave the way for construction of the extension and four stations to begin in 2025.
“You have heard us talk about this project for decades, but I’m here to tell you the project is now happening,” Carter told a news conference at the Red Line Extension Community Outreach Center, 401 W. 111th St.
The Red Line extension includes new stations at 103rd; 111th Street near Eggleston Avenue; along Michigan Avenue near 116th Street; and the new terminus at 130th Street near Altgeld Gardens.
Monday, March 20, 2023
Chicago Tonight: CTA & City eyes community centric development around future Red Line extension #Ward09 #ChiMayor23
[VIDEO] I suppose this could be a question for both Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson for the 2023 runoff, what is their position on the CTA Red Line extension. What would they be able to do to make this future extension into Ward 9/Roseland a reality?
Friday, March 17, 2023
Join Ald. Beale to Rally in support of Paul Vallas #Ward09
This was sent to those who joined Ald. Beale's email blast list. As you know earlier this past week Ald. Beale who recently won re-election to his city council seat endorsed Paul Vallas for Mayor in the April 4, 2023 runoff.
The rally for Vallas will take place at the
- Pullman Community Center
10355 S. Woodlawn Ave
Saturday, March 18, 2023
From 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM