Denver Union Station Update

Progress on the Union Station project is in full swing and now, final installations are quite noticeable. If you can look past the mountains of dirt, the barricade of chain link fences, and the endless line of construction equipment, some of the project’s final details can be seen. Behind the historic station, a huge canopy structure has been installed, closely resembling the Highlands Bridge, just a few blocks down 16th Street. The juxtaposition of the modern, contemporary sculpture next to the classic, historic station adds an exciting sight for LoDo. On either side of the canopy, the construction of the Cadence Apartments is in underway. For those of you who don’t know what this project is, the Cadence Apartments will offer 13 floors and 220 units of residential, urban living. The project is one of the first for the new Union Station neighborhood and is scheduled for completion in Fall 2013. But quite possibly the biggest news is the station itself. Although it is still open for people to tour through, that could come to a halt as soon as the end of the year. Once the project team in charge of the station’s renovation receives final approval, Union Station will be closed until the renovation is complete in 2014. So if you want to see the inside before it’s unrecognizable, now is your chance. Denver Infill will be hosting another Union Station tour this Saturday, November 17th. This could the last chance to see inside, so take advantage of this tour!

Big City, Train Boom in US

It is hard to miss the massive renovation that Union Station is currently under. It may be visibly difficult to see what is actually happening in the large pits surrounding the station, but numerous blogs and news articles will tell you that the rail depots and terminals are getting quite the upgrade. And Denver is not the only city making this momentous investment. Throughout the United States, somewhat rundown and underused rail stations are finally getting the attention they deserve. In the early 1900’s, train travel was the best, and cheapest, way to get around the country. And the train stations that housed these popular terminals were architectural gems, invoking various architectural styles and design innovations, as seen by the Los Angeles Union Station. As train travel started to decline, the design of these stations did as well, giving way to bland, and architecturally boring, buildings. A prime example is the Salt Lake City Amtrak Station, a drab box that hardly elicits a second glance. But with the resurgence of train travel, cities are starting to invest in their train stations and give these historic structures a modern finish. The New York Moynihan Station will involve the classic Penn Station and the historical post office next door, while the Washington DC Union Station will add on to the existing station. The historic Seattle King Street Station is getting a major renovation and who can forget about Denver’s own Union Station, with plans to create a new multimodal transportation hub in downtown. This new train boom is paving the way for a different way to travel around the United States, yet maintaining its historic roots.