The rebirth of Denver Union Station has been marked by hundreds of steps in a long march over the course of the past decade. The complexity, the sheer magnitude of the project can be difficult to appreciate. So with any big undertaking like Union Station, it is important to periodically look back and take account of the progress made to date. We’ve been in need of that retrospective on this project.

Thanks to Westword‘s Joel Warner, we have been given not only an outstanding description of the journey so far, but also a comprehensive breakdown of the myriad issues confronting the project and a glimpse of the profound impact the completed Union Station will have on Denver’s future.

I’ve been following the Union Station project since the beginning and can say that Joel’s account is remarkable: he gets all the complicated facts and figures straight, he touches on the big and small hurdles the project has encountered along the way, he gains insight from all the key players, he presents a balanced perspective to all the various controversies, and he frames the project within a sweep of time that spans most of the city’s existence. It’s an exceptional effort, and a must-read for anyone who cares about our historic train station and its role in the ongoing renaissance of Downtown Denver.

Joel’s story, “Union Station may become Denver’s gateway again — if it stays on track” is in this week’s issue of Westword.