January 17, 2012 – (Above) Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel tours the newly renovated CTA Red Line station at Grand Avenue and State Street this morning. Emanuel officially re-opened the station following three years of work that cost taxpayers $73.6 million.

“Having world-class infrastructure is a key focus for any world-class city,” said the mayor. “These targeted and strategic investments in our infrastructure will allow Chicagoans and visitors to get around the city more easily – to jobs, businesses, and neighborhoods.”

The station’s first renovation since being built in the early 1940s added new escalators, elevators, stairs, information and security systems, and more space.

According to a forecast for the Chicago Central Area Plan, by 2020 an average of 16,000 people per day will use the station to ride the Red Line.

At left is CTA President Forrest Claypool. (Photo obtained from Mayor’s Press Office. Click on image to view larger version.)