This is a very short Denver Union Station development update.
The first fabric panels are being installed on the commuter rail canopy structure!
Archive of posts filed under the Transit category.
Denver Union Station Update #114
Many of you have been down at Denver Union Station for the opening of the W-Line and probably noticed construction keeps on rolling. This is a very exciting time in this whole redevelopment because we are starting to see everything come together.
A month ago, both wing buildings were barely out of the ground. Now, the south wing building has one floor until it tops out while the north wing building has two floors to go.
Wynkoop Plaza is also coming along nicely. If you remember Ken’s last Union Station update, these are going to be very impressive fountains which extend the entire length of the south wing of the historic station.
On the north side of the canopy structure, the pedestrian bridge has started to take shape. This is the bridge that will be connected to the north wing building giving you access to the commuter rail platforms and the underground bus facility from Wynkoop Street.
There are three rail platforms that stop short of the canopy. Construction for these platforms has also started.
Between the redevelopment of Denver Union Station and all of the private sector development going on, this is quite the site to see! Head down there to check it out and ride the W-Line if you haven’t yet! Also, make sure to keep checking DenverUrbanism for the next few days for some W-Line greatness!
RTD West Line Countdown at DenverUrbanism!
We’re now only four days away from the grand opening of RTD’s West Line to Golden! To celebrate the occasion, we are doing a five-day countdown over at DenverUrbanism: each day a new transit-related post. Then, after our Opening Day post this Friday, we’ll do another five-day’s worth of transit posts (a “countup”!) to continue the celebration.
Photo credit: Ryan Dravitz
So, make sure you check out DenverUrbanism every day to help commemorate Denver’s rail transit system growing by another 12 miles!
Denver Union Station Update #112
Every time I go and take pictures of this redevelopment, I am more and more impressed with it. Last week, Ken posted a great top down picture of the train canopy structure in his last Union Station update. Today, we will be on the ground looking at a couple of additional angles of the canopy structure as well as checking in on the wing buildings.
First on our list is the South Wing building also known as One Union Station. If you remember from a few months back, Antero Resources leased a good portion of this building which helped get it off the ground. This building has risen above street level and work has begun on the second floor!
On the other side of the historic station, the North Wing building is also making some great progress. It is now two floors up with work starting on the third floor. As a refresher, IMA Financial will be occupying the majority of this wing building and both buildings will top out at five stories.
And now for a couple of additional shots of the completed canopy structure. This is a such an impressive structure and will definitely stand as a Denver landmark. The picture to the left is looking straight through the canopy from the north and on the right is a side view from the west.
Do you want to see all of this in person and know what you’re looking at? Well here’s your chance! Meet Ken at 2:50 PM this Saturday over by the three concrete stacks in the Light Rail Plaza. Here you will get some great information about the Denver Union Station redevelopment and a great walk-around tour. Head on over here for additional details and we will see you Saturday!
Denver Union Station Update #110
It’s been a little while since we’ve touched base on the Denver Union Station redevelopment so today let’s take a look around and see what’s happening around here!
Let’s start out with one of the most exciting elements of the entire project: the train shed canopy. The south end of the canopy is beginning to go vertical (which will mimic the north side) and you can see rail platforms beginning to be built as well! If you look carefully in the middle picture, fences have been put up for the 1650 Wewatta tower and a construction trailer is now on site. Awesome!
Heading to the front of the station, construction is in full swing for both of the wing buildings. The north wing building has broken street level and we should see this rise quickly. It seemed like a long process to get to this point but that’s because there are underground parking structures to be built.
When heading down Chestnut, 17th and 18th Street provide great views of the train canopy as well as the historic station. There will be a pedestrian bridge connecting 18th Street from the Union Station Neighborhood to Lower Downtown over the commuter rail tracks; one of many connections to get to either side. Also, Cadence is making quite the street presence down 17th Street!
Speaking of bridges, we have two great bridges connecting Central Platte Valley to the Union Station Neighborhood (which also provide great views of the development). Here are the views from both the Millennium Bridge as well as the 18th Street Pedestrian Bridge. Look at all those tower cranes!
This redevelopment is always quite a sight to see and with two more infill projects starting, it’s starting to become a thrilling reality from what once was a distant vision.
Denver Union Station Update #109
Today, for my 100th post on DenverInfill, I am going to update you on Denver’s most extraordinary project: Denver Union Station. As you know, the historic station is now closed and will be renovated over the next two years. But that’s not all the exciting news! Both wing buildings are under construction as well as the enormous, beautiful commuter rail canopy. Let’s take a look!
These two pictures give you an idea of how large this canopy is going to be. It’s only about 25% complete and will span all the way across the historic station.
The North (red crane) and South (yellow crane) wing buildings are fully under construction. As a refresher, these are 5-story buildings not to exceed the cornice line of the historic station.
When traveling north on Wynkoop Street, you can see both tower cranes up for the new wing buildings. It’s quite a sight seeing so much construction going on around Union Station.
Going down the 16th Street Mall towards the Millennium Bridge, both lanes are now open for the mall shuttles.
Over on Wewatta Street, you can see two things: Wewatta Street itself is nearing completion and the structure for the Wewatta Pavilion is in place. Cadence is also beginning to rise above the street as well!
Finally, some additional views of the entire redevelopment. Here you can see the sheer size of the commuter rail canopy. Cadence is also beginning to make a small presence. You can no longer see the north side of Union Station from Millennium Bridge!
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the private-sector development planned for this neighborhood. With the station also closed for renovation and construction of the hotel, I am very excited to see what everything will look like in 2014 when the project is scheduled for completion.
