Old train station in Cary set to be demolished later this summer

Cary’s former Metra commuter train station, which was replaced by a new building in 2019, is set to be demolished later this summer.

The Cary Village Board approved a resolution earlier this month awarding the Cary Metra depot demolition bid to Bellwood-based Milburn LLC for $62,985. This resolution includes a 10% contingency for any unexpected changes in the project’s scope, giving it a maximum budget of $69,283.

Five bids were received by the village, with Milburn being the lowest. Trustees unanimously approved the bid as part of its consent agenda.

Village Administrator Jake Rife said at the meeting that the demolition of the old train station fits into Cary’s recently approved plan for its downtown, as the village looks at adding more plaza space in the area.

The old commuter station’s demolition was included in the approved fiscal 2021-22 budget, according to village staff. Demolishing the building is one of the first steps toward the rehabilitation of the depot plaza, according a memo attached to the Village Board meeting’s agenda.

Cary’s new commuter station opened in 2019 and cost about $3.3 million to build. About $2 million in federal capital dollars, obtained by Metra, were earmarked for the project, with Metra paying for the new platforms while the village of Cary paid for the relocation of utilities and fiber optic lines.

The station included the new 1,400-square-foot station building, as well as a 300-square-foot warming shelter on the station’s inbound platform and boarding platforms.

The building being demolished was built in 1942, the Northwest Herald has reported.

The train depot’s demolition is expected to start in late summer, village staff said, upon approval of the Union Pacific Railroad and its new maintenance garage.