Chicago officials presented a two-year timeline for repairs and security upgrades at the former Greyhound bus station at 630 W. Harrison St.
Chicago officials outlined a two-phase, roughly two-year plan for repairs and security upgrades at the former Greyhound bus station at 630 W. Harrison St., which the city bought for $19.2 million earlier this year. The first phase, set for late 2026 into early 2027, covers a new HVAC system, roof repairs, exterior lighting fixes and camera upgrades, plus round-the-clock armed security. A second phase in 2027-28 will assess further needs including ADA compliance, fire safety systems and structural work, while Flix, the bus terminal's operator, keeps running the station for up to a year after the city takes ownership.
City officials presented a two-year timeline Thursday for repairs and security upgrades at the former Greyhound bus station at 630 W. Harrison St. The plan tells Near West Side residents when work will start and what changes are coming to the long-troubled station.
The city closed on a $19.2 million purchase of the station earlier this year after the building had been operating on a month-to-month lease with owner Alden Global Capital since 2024, when its long-term lease expired. The station has run since the late 1980s and serves roughly 500,000 riders a year. A 2024 policy brief from DePaul University's Chaddick Institute found that if the station closed, Chicago would have become the largest city in the northern hemisphere, and one of only three among the world's 130 most populous cities, without an intercity bus station.
Under a transition agreement between the city and Flix, the company that owns Greyhound, Flix will keep operating and managing the station for up to 12 months after the city's purchase closes.
The first phase of work, planned for late 2026 into early 2027, includes a new HVAC system, a new roof, repairs to exterior lighting and upgrades to the station's camera network. The city plans to station two armed security guards at the terminal around the clock and maintain 64 cameras covering the interior and exterior of the building.
A second phase, set for 2027 through 2028, will involve a broader assessment of the station to identify further work. That review could lead to upgrades in safety and security systems, ADA compliance, fire alarms and sprinklers, bathrooms and other interior spaces, along with structural, masonry and exterior repairs.
Ald. Bill Conway (34th) told residents at Thursday's community meeting that he had been skeptical of the city's plans for the station, pointing to years of complaints about safety and cleanliness, but said he changed his view after learning more about the station's role in regional transit.
"The fact that this station is important does not mean that our community has to accept and tolerate the problems that have been there for several years," Conway said. "If the city is going to own this facility, then the city, including myself, needs to take responsibility for what happens. And my expectation is that things will get better at this facility under city ownership and not stay the same."
Residents at the meeting focused much of their questioning on conditions that have plagued the site for years, including overgrown grass, trash, discarded needles and crime in the surrounding blocks. City officials said that taking ownership gives departments direct authority to address those problems rather than relying on the previous private owner. Streets and Sanitation crews have already started trimming trees and brush and cleaning the grounds, and officials said the property will now be maintained on a regular schedule.
Neighbors also raised concerns about loitering and other activity outside the station. Officials said security staffing will be coordinated with the Chicago Police Department and adjusted if conditions warrant, and they encouraged residents to call 911 to report crimes as they happen rather than waiting to raise them at community meetings.
The Chicago Department of Transportation is separately surveying infrastructure within a two-block radius of the station over the coming months, looking at street lighting, traffic patterns, pavement and sidewalk conditions and signage to flag potential pedestrian and traffic safety fixes. CDOT plans to work with Conway's office on implementing whatever the survey turns up, with street lighting improvements around the station targeted for completion by December.
Flix continues to run day-to-day operations under the transition agreement. The city's first construction work is not expected to begin until late this year at the earliest, with the more extensive interior and structural repairs planned for 2027 and 2028.
