After years in development, bulldozers finally rolled in to break ground on the Bloomingdale Trail on Aug. 27. The trail itself is just one portion of the 606 park system, which is set to include a skate park, an observatory and a poet’s garden. The 606 name and concept officially were revealed in a public meeting at the McCormick Tribune YMCA in June.
Bloomingdale Trail Groundbreaking
The idea to convert the abandoned train line originated back in 2004 as part of the Logan Square Open Space Plan. Thanks to the work of the Chicago Park District, The Chicago Department of Transportation, the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, the project is finally coming to fruition. Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined these organizations and broke ground on the Bloomingdale Trail, expected to open to the public in 2014.
Park 567 Now Open at Milwaukee & Leavitt
The 606 will include five parks with various amenities at each. On Sept. 13, the Trust for Public Land announced the completion of Park 567, a ground-level park located at Milwaukee Avenue and Leavitt Street. The park currently includes green space for recreation and boulders for sitting. Eventually, there will be a large seating area and staircase leading up to the Bloomingdale Trail on the southeastern side—see the official rendering in the photo gallery above for details.
Last weekend, the Trust for Public Land and Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail sponsored The 606 Pub Crawl to raise funds for the project. Participants stopped at five bars along the future trail, including Bucktown Pub, Map Room, Green Eye, Marble and Weegee’s. To get involved in future volunteering and fundraising efforts, visit by the The 606 contact page.
I am so glad to see it finally happening.