grand central station chicago passenger railroad terminal downtown chicago illinois located west harrison street block bounded harrison wells streets southwestern portion grand central station designed architect completed chicago baltimore purchased station chicago terminus passenger rail service including service washington tenant railroads included successor railway station opened december closed november demolished construction october subsidiary began constructing new passenger terminal southwest corner harrison called fifth avenue chicago replace nearby temporary facility location new depot south branch selected advantage passenger freight market traveling nearby architect gained notoriety designer company neighborhood designed station chose brick granite construction structure measured wells imposing arches arched carriage court facing multitude towers dominated walls famous feature impressive tower northeast corner structure early advocate floating system solve chicago unique soil problems designed tower sit floating foundation supported deep piles early bell tower hour point bell removed tower huge clock diameter time largest united_states remained interior decorated exterior waiting room example marble floors style columns stained glass windows marble fireplace restaurant station room hotel accommodations ended late famous equally unique self supporting glass steel train shed largest world time constructed considered architectural gem marvel engineering long built housed tracks platforms long accommodate car passenger trains final construction cost totaled million dollars chicago subsidiary formally opened december seeking access chicago railway market purchased leading intention making station eastern terminus opened hosted trains connected illinois minnesota connection forest park december tenants included baltimore railway started station weakened prolonged economic went bankrupt october forced end ownership chicago including ultimately tenant railroad baltimore ohio purchased station terminal form baltimore services smallest chicago passenger rail relatively quiet place prominent destination large numbers cross country travelers daily waves suburbs chicago example served passengers day representing percent total number city chicago serviced average trains day including suburban trains number comparison trains served street station chicago trains day station host baltimore ohio famous passenger trains including washington leading station east forced trains miles way industrial southwest west city map left tenants purchased known railway merged ohio railway near scale operations passenger rail market passenger trains served terminal following lines trains baltimore new_york_city washington trains cumberland maryland west_virginia later minneapolis minnesota trains kansas_city missouri nebraska passenger services ceased minneapolis line minnesota michigan ultimately buffalo new_york merger ohio railway trains renamed december july chicago street station rebuilt suburban commuter trains addition passenger rail service hosted short lived passenger rail operations coincide world exposition baltimore ohio operated special passenger train grand central station intermediate stops street blue island avenue avenue avenue served terminal suburban commuter lines operated operated trains west second began service continued purchased line operated trains day stopping harvey line unsuccessful ended early tenant railroads operated commuter trains end lightly terminal years following world war serving passenger trains nearly busiest passenger trains dropped service curtailed chicago great western late run trains day ceased operating passenger service chicago result trains remained operated baltimore ohio number passengers remaining service year station closed station served average passengers day small size age perceived target long term political effort city government encourage consolidation passenger south loop ultimately political effort sealed fate described decaying sadly date faced decreasing passenger numbers intense political pressure consolidate railroads operating routed trains chicago beginning central station remaining baltimore ohio trains november routed new terminus chicago following day sitting unused value architectural engineering masterpiece discounted railroad owner believed value land urban redevelopment substantial result scrapped entire terminal razed railroad present day approximately acres remain vacant harrison site currently serves facto dog park developers began construction south site intended complex story office residential towers stretching designed designer landmark main branch story apartment building completed accommodate additional floors plans office towers retail development grand central station terminal site proposed past years shelved land corner harrison wells lot station stood remains vacant march successor company sold property illinois based capital group intent site mixed use high rise buildings proposed constructing new rail station site february accommodate high speed trains city core hare airport firm feels location adding additional capacity crowded october proposal build towers containing units rental possibly apartments resurfaced acres acre site development known franklin point backed jay-z business partners legacy thirty years destruction relatively recently identified local historians railroad enthusiasts architecture critics queen city old train stations author remarked station important chicago building received recognition architect destruction noted terminal demolished chicago lost greatest monument institution created railroad time completed passenger trains approached terminal crossing southwest bridge taylor street constructed bridge replaced taller structure accommodate larger boats ships south branch river straightened widened 1930s war insisted baltimore ohio build new bridge adjacent crossed river 15th 16th streets new bridge location seven blocks south previous crossing exacerbated route leading bridge immediately adjacent built bridges bridge sits unused uncertain future old bridge served rebuilt bridge find new life chicago continues railroad heritage hub planned national high speed rail network possibly making use railway bridge
Grand Central Station (Chicago)