by Brianna Crandall — August 11, 2014—Denver, Colorado’s historic Union Station officially reopened to the public on July 26, 2014. The station was closed for extensive renovations on December 2, 2012, with a focus on preserving the historically significant features of this 1914 Beaux-Arts building and has now returned to its origins as a multimodal transit hub and local hospitality destination.
“This building means so much to our history and to our potential for the future. Already Union Station, with its Crawford Hotel and new retail, has spurred a $1.8 billion wave of new opportunity in the area,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “All roads now lead to Union Station, and in 2016, we will extend those opportunities when the East Line to DIA will carry passengers between the airport and downtown in half an hour!”
Union Station has been renovated to include multiple restaurants, all created by Denver’s top restaurateurs and chefs. Within the Great Hall are even more restaurants created by Colorado-based Larimer Associates. The “spectacular” interiors of the Great Hall, The Terminal Bar and The Cooper Lounge were created by New York City-based AvroKO Designs, LLC. The retail stores in Union Station also reflect the Colorado theme.
The upper floors of the north and south wings of the building are occupied by The Crawford Hotel, named for Colorado’s legendary preservationist, Dana Crawford, one of the partners responsible for this new transit center. The Crawford is a one-of-a-kind 112-room independent hotel, featuring three styles of rooms including those modeled after Pullman train cars, classic vintage design, and lofts resembling those in the adjacent neighborhood, Lower Downtown.
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) commuter rail lines, light rail and buses connect behind the station along with Amtrak. In 2016, the rail line from Denver International Airport will arrive at Union Station. RTD has granted the Union Station Alliance a 99-year lease of the building. Colorado companies involved in the Union Station Alliance are Larimer Associates, McWhinney, REGen, LLC, Sage Hospitality and Urban Neighborhoods.
