MORGAN PARK — Metra commuters missing the 115th Street Depot need look no further than their monthly pass to remember the station that was leveled Friday afternoon.
The building at 1982 W. 115th St. in Morgan Park is featured on the monthly pass for July — a reminder of the building that opened in 1892.
The station was demolished after a fire severely damaged the building May 28. Metra has promised to continue service at the stop and rebuild some sort of structure for riders looking to escape the elements while waiting for the train.
The station was deemed a historic landmark in 1995 along with the Metra stations along the same line at 91st, 95th, 99th, 107th and 111th streets, according to a report. In all, Metra's Rock Island District Line makes seven stops in the 19th Ward.
Metra's 115th Street Depot was demolished Friday. However, the commuter rail provider features a picture of the train station that was damaged in a fire May 28 on its monthly pass for July. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
Metra officials said after the fire the damage was too extensive to repair. Engineers from the city and Metra determined that the building needed to be razed due to safety concerns.
"Metra is extremely disappointed that this building cannot be saved, because we understand it has served as a community anchor for 125 years. However, we have no choice but to remove it and expect to do so shortly," Metra spokeswoman Meg Thomas-Reile said June 22.
A five-month, $500,000 renovation project of the station's outdoor platforms that began May 8 has continued in the wake of the fire.
