A plaque installed at the Stone Avenue Station in La Grange marks the completion of a $1.1 million renovation of the Romanesque-style building that dates from 1901.
The project took several years to complete and was funded with grants from the federal government and from the West Suburban Mass Transit District. The plaque was placed at the building Monday.
Mark Truax, president of the La Grange Area Historical Society, said the project included replacing the roof, refinishing the wood and installing a new sign and landscaping.
Before a cloth covering the plaque noting the history of the structure was removed, Village President Thomas Livingston said the station, which is one of two in the village, is crucial to the community’s financial well-being.
“Metra (train stations) have really unlocked the economic potential of La Grange, he said.
The village’s reliance on access to trains as an economic engine is evident in recent transit-oriented residential developments that have been built in the community, he said.
The town’s other train station is at Burlington Avenue and La Grange Road.
“The train, the train, the train. We’re a very train-oriented community. It’s a piece of the life blood of La Grange,” said Steve Palmer, owner of Palmer Place Restaurant in La Grange.
Truax said the historical society located much of the background information, including the original blue prints, that enabled the station to be restored to how it looked when it was built at the beginning of the 20th century.
“It turned out wonderfully,” said assistant village manager Andrianna Peterson. “It’s truly a project in which the whole community was involved.”
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