As Springfield’s Rail Improvements Project enters its final two years of construction, one Springfield City Council member wants to know why the city is just now considering plans for the 19th Street corridor, while the Third Street rail consolidation is nearing completion.
With the anticipated transition of ownership of the Third Street corridor into the hands of the city when the tracks are decommissioned in late 2027, a visioning process was conducted to determine potential uses. In June, a proposal was unveiled for The Linc, a multiuse path connecting the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Springfield’s north side to Junction Circle on the city’s south side. A variety of projects are embedded in the proposal, from fountains, mini-parks and playgrounds to nature corridors and the opportunity for additional housing.
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However, at the Nov. 4 City Council meeting, Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory balked at the idea of approving additional funding for the Third Street corridor before taking action to redevelop the 19th Street corridor. He said his main point of contention is the historic disinvestment of Springfield’s east side by the city.
“Now we have money for everything else, except the 19th street tracks,” Gregory said at the council meeting. “We promise the east side something to quiet them down…”
Corporation counsel Greg Moredock told the council it would be “very likely we’re going to lose” $2.7 million in grant funds earmarked for the Third Street greenway if the council didn’t approve the city’s portion of the funding. The ordinance ultimately passed, with seven council members voting yes and Gregory voting present. Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams and Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase were absent.
“It’s about continuing to hold up to what was promised to the community,” Gregory told Illinois Times. “Well before I got [elected to City Council] in 2019, we were told all three railroad tracks would be addressed. Leadership has only been focusing on the 10th and Third Street tracks. I’m more at a point where I need to see action – money and community meetings. We’ve heard talk since 2012 on this. I’m not big on what this administration says. I’m more on action.”
Both the city’s chief engineer, Nate Bottom, and Mike Mendenhall, senior structural engineer for Hanson Professional Services, sought to reassure Gregory and the rest of the City Council that funding and follow-through for the 19th Street corridor would be addressed.
“The city fully intends to do the feasibility study and really wants to make a commitment to improve the 19th Street corridor,” Mendenhall said.
Gregory told IT that since then he has met with Hanson Professional Services, which has led Springfield’s Rail Improvements Project, and Bottom to discuss moving forward with a feasibility study for the 19th Street corridor.
Asked if he felt Gregory’s concerns were addressed in their recent meeting, Bottom said, “We need to get there. We have an opportunity to redevelop this corridor and to improve the quality of life for residents and businesses in the area… We are committed to doing the work.”
At the Jan. 13 committee of the whole meeting, the council discussed two ordinances pertaining to the 19th Street feasibility study. One is to enter into an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation that would allow access to $500,000 in grant funding, while the other ordinance would award the same amount to Hanson Professional Services to conduct the study.
Mendenhall told IT that a feasibility study for the 19th Street corridor was initially planned in 2012, when the Rail Improvements Project was finalized. At that point, rail traffic on the 19th Street corridor was at four trains per day, with an estimated increase to nine trains per day by 2030. However, rail traffic has since decreased to only two trains per day currently, with a further anticipated reduction when the power plant in Kincaid closes in late 2027.
The feasibility study will help determine whether the train corridor can remain viable or if it will be abandoned. If it were to remain viable, Bottom said that safety measures such as gates for pedestrians and vehicles may be installed, as well as the establishment of a quiet zone. However, Bottom said, “It’ll be tough to receive state or federal funding due to decreased traffic.”
If it is determined that the 19th Street corridor should be abandoned, a greenway such as the one currently projected for the Third Street corridor is possible. Both Mendenhall and Bottom noted this is why conducting the feasibility study is so important.
Bottom said there will be public meetings to allow residents to provide feedback. Those will most likely take place in May, with the goal of having the study finished by the fall.
“Public engagement is a part of this. We want to get the input of residents and businesses along the corridor,” Bottom said.
Mendenhall and Public Works director Dave Fuchs both addressed the council Jan. 13. Gregory asked them to outline the time frame for the study, along with plans for community meetings and stakeholder outreach.
Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer asked if an updated cost analysis would be included and inquired about possible grants, and Mendenhall said it would provide cost estimates for various scenarios.
Gregory said he has a lot of respect for Hanson Professional Services’ leadership of the project, but is concerned about how long it may take to see improvements along the 19th Street Rail corridor.
“This is a project that has been worked on for about 15 years or so, and now we’re at this point of doing another study,” he said at the council meeting. “There’s some doubt in our community… we just want to look at everything and make sure it’s not going to be another feasibility study that’s going to sit in a closet somewhere.”
Gregory told IT, “It’s an important topic for our community. We look forward to getting something done. We respect everyone that’s involved – we just want to see some action.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from the Jan. 13 Springfield City Council meeting.
