Here is the most recent Union Station urban design submission to the planning board. Anne Hayes, who is Chairperson of Union Station Advocates and Vice President and Project Manager for Westfield Development Company, was kind enough to send it to me. It focuses on three elements of the redevelopment plan:
- The canopy connector between the train hall and Union Station.
- The pedestrian bridge that connects Lodo with Central Platte Valley over the Amtrak and commuter rail tracks (formerly known as Kinetic Plaza).
- The grand staircase at Wynkoop Plaza.
While the design of the canopy connector seems to be acceptable to all or most parties, the updated design of the pedestrian bridge appears to be causing some heartburn. In fact, at its April 28 meeting, the planning board sent the design team back to the drawing board. The original design called for a grand public space with public art and plenty of room for tables where it connected to a proposed adjacent building on the Central Platte Valley side on the tracks. With that building now in question, the new bridge design is far more utilitarian and has lost all of its public space features. See pages 8 and 9 in the link above for renderings of the current bridge design. The August 4 planning board meeting should bring the bridge issue to an interesting conclusion.
No escalators really you got to be kidding me. Wire mesh on the bridge what are we build another Denver jail here. Why not tall glass all the way across so people can see the trains below. How much are we spending on this project and this is what they give us.
How would you recommend cleaning 8-foot tall glass overhanging live LRT lines?
How lazy are you that you need escalators… there are elevators… do we need to spend money on both? I’ve never seen an escalator leading to an outdoor ped bringe in Europe! When I think of ped bridges and escalators, all that comes to mind are the ones in Vegas suffed full of endless fat Americans.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_IogZb6c5nko/SBnZEXJyM0I/AAAAAAAABeo/4anL8iJzFSc/Only+in+America+-+Gym+Escalators.jpg
Surprised there isn’t some type of cover over the pedestrian bridge. It’s going to be a bit chilly and windy on some winter days. I agree on the “Utilitarian” impression. I’d rather have something with some more pissazz..
I’m afraid that Denver is going to miss out on a big opportunity with not only the bridge, but with the “grand” staircase as well. Those stairs as currently designed are about as common place and boring as you’ll find anywhere. I’m not expecting the Potemkin Stairs, but how about somethng at least as cool as what you’d find at the Cabot Circus shopping center in Bristol, England. We can do way better than this.
Cabot Circus very cool!!
This ought to be fun in a blizzard.
Just stay home, ha ha.
I agree with all of the comments above. As much as I’d like to see a grand Calatrava design out at the airport, I’m not sure it’s such a good idea at the expense of the Union Station design. It seems far more important to put the time, energy and financial resources into a beautiful design downtown than into what, at the end of the day, is nothing more than a bridge over a highway. The airport train station will be strictly utilitarian, whereas union station will be multifunctional – it will be a transportation hub and a gathering place/focal point for the city. Way more important to do downtown right than the airport.
The airport operates almost like a private entity. They generate their own revenue from concessions and landing fees. The funding sources have nothing to do with one another.
Other than maybe the bridge, DIA and DSU, come from different pots.
I’m strong on DIA, because it’s our front door to the world. Tons of yet to be realized potential and a key component of Denver Metro, owned by Denver.
I guess some “value engineering” is standard but… You would think with construction costs down, that cutbacks wouldn’t be so necessary. I suppose with a project of this size and complexity, unforeseen things will pop up. I’m gonna hope that going “conservative” is wise, but may allow for enhancements as the project progresses.
I’m really hoping for the “grand public space” idea for the bridge. Enough things in Denver have been cut back for budgetary reasons over the past several years. Is the public welcome to attend the August 4th planning board meeting?
Paul S,
Yes, the Planning Board meetings are open to the public. It is the perfect opportunity to express your views. Here’s a link to the meeting agenda: http://www.denvergov.org/Planning/PlanningBoard/tabid/431851/Default.aspx
Agree with most everyone here. Best option would be a heated walkway. Otherwise, at least enclose it with windows for a summer breeze. Stairway is functional, but very boring. I’m thinking more of the Spanish Steps in Rome. At the very least, a wrap-around staircase that gradually narrows as it rises.
I’m sure the re-design will be much better and kudos to the planning board for rejecting this submission.
The millenium bridge, 18th St Pedestrian Bridge, the Ped Bridge across I-70… all of these are open to the elements. The bridges are mean to get from point A to point B SAFELY, not a place to sit reading a book. And if you don’t feel like wearing a coat… you don’t HAVE to use the bridge because you can walk all warm and toasty inside of the terminal all the way from Wynkoop to the new light rail station! This ped bridge is not a neccessary element; It is an alternative shortcut.
The train hall should extend at least partly over the bridge, or the bridge should be placed under the canopy. And yes, the glorified fencing just won’t do.
The bridge and the stairs have always had such potential for a grand vision, is it really the expensive part of the project that gets downgraded? I would have thought that the design work for a simple but spectacular bridge/staircase would have happened by now so we wouldn’t end up with mediocrity.
Sheesh. How much money will they really save here? Doesn’t seem like much to me. I’m soooooo happy that this lame design was rejected.
After speaking with RTD guards, my understanding is that wire mesh is preferable to something like glass in order to deter spray paint taggers. Pedestrian bridges, such as the Millennium Bridge and the bridge at 18th Street, would not be covered because then some people might decide to live there. It’s the same reason light rail stations aren’t covered.