On Monday, September 30, Union Station Redevelopment
Corporation (USRC), Amtrak, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation (AAC), and
Federal City Council will mark the 25th anniversary of the historic grand
reopening of Washington Union Station with select activities throughout the
station, including:
--Photo displays of the station’s evolution, along with
artifacts and station restoration facts placed throughout the West Hall and
Main Hall.
--An interactive model of the station’s master plan,
highlighting the future vision to further expand the station and rail yard into
a greater multimodal and commercial hub. Amtrak and Akridge (our development
partner) representatives will be onsite from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to present
the model and answer questions.
--The Union Station Preservation Coalition will be onsite
to provide information on the station’s history and architecture.
--Select Union Station retail and food merchants will
offer exclusive one-day promotions. A list of participating retailers can be
found by visiting https://mta.maryland.gov/advisories/marc-celebrates-25th-anniversary-union-station-rennovation
.
--A video display of the “Union Station 25th
Anniversary”, developed by The Federal City Council with an introduction by Mr.
Boardman. You can also view the video on our Great American Stations website
next week.
Washington Union Station reopened its doors on September
29, 1988, with a full-day of celebration capped with a gala dinner after a
three-year transformative rehabilitation project. The largest public/private
partnership of its kind at that time funded the $160 million restoration effort
as a result of the Union Station Redevelopment Act of 1981 establishing the
effort to restore the station to its historic grandeur.
“This collaborative rehabilitation project provided
Amtrak with a home for its national corporate headquarters, served as the
catalyst for neighborhood development, and helped spark a renaissance of
national passenger rail service,” said Amtrak President and CEO, Joe Boardman.
“Since the station’s reopening, Amtrak ridership in Washington, D.C., has more
than doubled and we continue to see record growth.”
Today, the station serves over 32 million visitors
annually, and there is a continued focus on station enhancements. Future plans
to improve and expand the station are on the horizon guided by the Union
Station Master Plan.
For more information on the Union Station Redevelopment
efforts, visit http://usrcdc.com/anniversary.php
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