The 78: A Neighborhood Rises
Chicago — built on history, hope and determination. Since the earliest days as a rail and lumber yard, the area around The 78 has been linked to industry and defined by progress. In that spirit, The 78 is being forged by the working men and women of Chicago, and rises as a responsive and resilient 21st-century neighborhood that can galvanize communities and transform the city.
From Industrialization to Innovation
It all began when...
400 Million BC
A tropical sea lays down the limestone that will become Chicago's skyscrapers.
1770s
Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable arrived on the shore of Lake Michigan becoming the first permanent non-Indigenous settler of what will become Chicago.
1833
Chicago is founded and becomes an epicenter of trade.
1871
The Great Chicago Fire destroys 2,000 acres of the city - but The 78 is spared.
1909
The Plan of Chicago reshapes the city through civic space and transportation. The 78's role? A massive rail yard.
1929
Next to The 78, the Chicago River is straightened for easier passage.
1971
Amtrak takes over Union Station, hastening the end of The 78 as a rail yard.
1977
With rail lines removed, The 78 is now vacant.
2001
Carol Ross Barney designs the Chicago Riverwalk, that will eventually extend into The 78.
2016
Related Midwest announces a plan to reimagine the site.
2017
DPI selects The 78 as the future home of their research institution.
2018
The vision for The 78 is unveiled.
2019
Plans for The 78 are approved and infrastructure work begins.
2020 and beyond
Join us and watch Chicago's newest neighborhood begin to take shape. #HereComesThe78
A Vision for Chicago’s Next Great Neighborhood
One-Half Mile of Riverfront Access
Wells-Wentworth Connector
Discovery Partners Institute
Here's What's Happening
U of I unveils final plans for its Discovery Partners campus in the South Loop
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New HIRE360 small-business development center receives $3 million investment
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Plans for U of I research center in Chicago move ahead
Read ArticleHere's What's Happening
Check our progress and see what’s new.
