CHICAGO, IL, September 09, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The progress made toward turning a long-abandoned rail line into a health-enhancing biking trail for the city's south side residents will be celebrated on September 12, 2025 by the organization making it all possible.

The Bronzeville Trail Task Force (BTTF) will hold its third annual Installation and Awards Luncheon on 12 noon at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, 2233 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.

The Task Force is a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to building support for the Bronzeville Trail, converting the abandoned Kenwood "L" line embankment to a walking, running and biking trail park. Constructed, in part, by black laborers during the Great Migration and neglected for nearly 70 years, the Kenwood Line stands as a vital yet under-recognized historical remnant. The 1.75-mile trail starts at 40th and Dearborn Streets on the west end and continues east towards 41st and Lake Park. The mission of the Task Force is to create a vibrant, sustainable community space that supports wildlife, reduces pollution, and celebrates local culture, history, and ecology. The projected construction cost is $100 million.

"This is an exciting time for the BTTF," said John E. Adams, CPA, founder and executive director of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force. "The city's $5 million commitment last year to both activate and begin phase one construction along with the enthusiastic support of this year's honorees and many others means the Bronzeville Trail is well on its way to becoming a reality for the south side. The Trail will prove to be the most catalytic and transformative project in the history of Bronzeville and may induce over $1 Billion dollars of investment."

In recognition of their service and commitment to the BTTF, this year's luncheon will honor Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Dr. Maria Villalobos-Hernandez, associate professor, Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism at Illinois Tech College of Architecture, Chicago architect Vernon Williams, R.A., and multinational design firm SmithGroup.

Ms. Preckwinkle is the 35th president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, an office she has held since 2010. The first Black woman to hold the office, Preckwinkle was one of the first elected officials to throw her support behind the Bronzeville Trail project. In 2019, Dr. Villalobos-Hernandez began teaching a course about the abandoned embankment before she became aware of any effort to repurpose the land into a linear park. She is also one of the founding members of the BTTF Development Committee. With more than four decades of Chicago building design experience, Mr. Vernon Williams was the first Chicago architect to lend his support to the Bronzeville Trail project. SmithGroup, founded in 1853, has more than 1,500 employees in its 21 locations around the world. SmithGroup was one of the founding members of the BTTF Development Committee.

Featured speakers at this year's event are Ms. Ciere Boatwright, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD), and Doug Monieson, CEO of UICO, LLC, an industrial monitor company based in Elmhurst, Illinois. Boatwright leads the DPD's economic, planning and zoning functions while promoting inclusive, equitable growth across Chicago. Monieson is a board member of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force and national treasurer and board member of the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), a Washington, DC think tank that actively supports building a nation connected by trails.

"We are deeply grateful for our event sponsors from previous years," Adams said. "Sponsorship proceeds will not only help make the Bronzeville Trail a reality but also support the BTTF's special workforce development program that encourages students to either continue their education or seek an apprenticeship at one of the construction trades."

The Bronzeville Trail Task Force is a federally exempt, 501(c)3 organization.

For more information, please contact John Adams 773-726-7900

The Bronzeville Trail Task Force serves as the community stewards of the Bronzeville Trail; offering an independent voice while working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that the Trail is a vibrant, inclusive part of the Bronzeville Trail Community corridor. The Bronzeville Trail Task Force is a federally exempt, 501(c)3 organization.

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