63rd Street Non-Revenue Rail Vehicle Maintenance Facility Design-Build – Cook County, Illinois

DB Sterlin provided survey, civil, and structural engineering support for the design-build delivery of a new non-revenue rail vehicle maintenance facility for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) along 63rd Street between Prairie Avenue and Calumet Avenue. The project includes a state-of-the-art maintenance building with power wash pits, vehicle grit blast booths, paint spray booths, overhead and jib crane support systems, a machine shop, welding room, loading dock, storage areas, and office space.

Comprehensive Survey and Civil Engineering Support
DB Sterlin performed topographic surveys and established control points to support precise design and construction coordination. Civil engineering support included site utility design, including new water, sewer, and gas services, as well as stormwater and drainage planning. Special attention was given to local sewer capacity limitations and known backups near the project site. A new domestic water line was designed to feed an existing building, requiring extensive coordination with the City of Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) plumbing reviewers and the CDWM Water Section, including field testing of the existing water main and fire protection system.

Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) design ensured safe site operations during construction. DB Sterlin also assisted with permitting, including IEPA, NPDES, SWPPP, DOB Stormwater, and Office of Underground Coordination (OUC) permits. Civil design work included responding to contractor RFIs and reviewing shop drawings for elements designed by DB Sterlin.

Structural Engineering and Design-Build Coordination
Structural engineering support included design assistance for building components, trackwork realignment for access to the facility, and integration of electrical, power, and telecommunication services. Close coordination with the design-build contractor ensured that the project met operational, constructability, and schedule requirements throughout design and construction.

Enhancing Transit Operations
The new facility provides the CTA with modernized infrastructure for maintaining non-revenue rail vehicles, enabling more efficient operations, safer maintenance practices, and improved reliability for the overall transit system.