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.
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.
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.
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. ... 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.
Snapped these shots on March 11, 2025. Just decided to walk along South Michigan just south of Harlan High School. I'm just curious what caused this building to get to this state. I'd rather there was a functioning business here and people living in the apartments upstairs.
This on the west side of Michigan near 98th Street.
This last pic below, this is the garage to this building with a Jeep outside of it. It's been there for as long as I can remember. Who owns it? In fact who owns the property?
UPDATE March 27, 2025 - Earlier this month I snapped some shots along Michigan Avenue and will share the shot of this place at a later time. This building is boarded up currently, which is a shame. When I was in school a classmate lived in the apartments above and I had visited him occasionally. I knew another classmate - who's since passed away - who was said to be connected with the family that owned Mama J's. I only wonder what happened to the business and the family that owned it and how the building is now basically abandoned.
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! This is near 98th and Michigan. Known for their Jones hamburgers. I haven't patronized this business in years and at that this was when I was much younger. I wish I could give you a review of how good the burgers and service was here.
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.
[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.
[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.
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.
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
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.
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.
This is what you would've found on the vacant lot at 115th & Michigan perhaps before the mid-2000s at least.
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.
[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?
This pic is south of 111th Street & Michigan during the 1960s.
The building where the JC Penney was located is still standing. The Gately Store across the street, however, was demolished after it suffered a devastating fire. And the Herman's Army Surplus store the building where that was located is also demolished.
I like seeing these pics of a South Michigan Avenue in Roseland as a vibrant shopping area. If you could have any other store take up shop in this building what store would you like to see?
I found this pic in the FB group Roseland History in a posting asking if anyone remembers the elevator operator. A job that we don't hear a lot about these days.
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.
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.”
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.
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]
[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?
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
Two hopefuls are trying to unseat one of City Council’s longest-serving members, aiming to bring new leadership to the Far South Side seat after more than two decades.
Cameron Barnes and Cleopatra Draper are challenging Ald. Anthony Beale in the 9th Ward race. Beale, first elected in 1999, is seeking his seventh term representing Chatham, Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights, West Pullman and Riverdale.
Sonya Thompson Dorsey withdrew from the race in December after two residents challenged her signatures. Dorsey said she still plans to participate as a write-in candidate, she said.
The 9th Ward has seen increased development in the past several years, with new businesses like Lexington Betty Smokehouse and Culver’s. It’s also home to Pullman National Historical Park, which opened in 2021.
I see Barnes in this article wants to fight gentrification. Beale of course touts his accomplishments as the longtime incumbent in the 9th Ward. And then I really like this by Draper:
Draper’s goals are to revitalize the Roseland business district, bring better grocery stores to the area, improve housing stability and mental health facilities, fight “food apartheid” and tackle gun violence, according to her website.
“The goal is to revitalize the 9th Ward, the Far South region,” Draper said in a December YouTube video. “This is not just a singular race. This is to change and enhance the quality of life Black folks on the far South Side. We’ve been neglected for too long, and I’m not accepting another day to live in a food desert, a medical desert, transportation desert, child care desert. Where and in what form or fashion is that community?”
If elected, Draper also wants to bring essential services to South Michigan Avenue, create new and expand existing businesses and address public safety concerns, she said.
I'd like to see Michigan Avenue get some more investment. What's her plan?
Early voting has been going on since January 26, 2023 and will be going through election day February 28, 2023.
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