The elevated portion was a station that had been part of the system since its original inauguration in 1895, and as such it had all the trappings of a station of that period(ornately appointed decorations and the such.) In 1913, the stations in the Loop underwent some renovations, chief among them being the removal of the original waiting rooms. However, much of the ornate architecture was left intact. Unfortunately, the station had fallen into a severe state of disrepair by the time renovations began in 1988. Ultimately, these renovations linked the Elevated Clark station with the Lake Transfer on the Blue Line to create a new station.
The station that the former Clark station linked up to had a comparatively shorter lifetime, having been established in February of 1951. It was built in the Art Moderne style, which at the time was considered a modern design. The actual roots of the joint complex can actually be traced all the way back to 1958. At that time, there was a through route built between the elevated tracks and the subway. Thus, commuters could transfer up between the Lake and Clark stations for the first time. Interestingly enough, commuters were not allowed to go in the opposite direction. Finally, a change to the service brought a reversal to the policy in 1969.
In 1992, the two stations were combined so as to allow free movement between the levels without having to pay a transfer. The process itself was not fully completed until 1996, when the new entrance to the mega-station was completed. Various updates have occurred throughout the years, including the transition to a transit card system in 1997, as well as making the entrances open 24 hours a day starting in 2000.
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