The project’s most noticeable work is happening right behind Union Station. I took the first photo below March 2, 2011, a mere five weeks ago. I took the second photo on Friday. Gone are all the tracks, passenger platforms, canopies, and bus access to the HOV lane.
Meantime, most of the other work is focused on finishing the entrance/exit ramp for the bus terminal, waterproofing the roof of the terminal, and completing utility work in preparation for rebuilding Chestnut Place. The following two photos, when taken together, give you a wide view of the project. Horizontally through the center of both photos is the beginning of the rebuilt Chestnut Place. On the right side of the first photo, you can see where Kiewit workers have started the dirt foundation for the street across the center of the bus terminal roof. The dark gray stripe on the roof is waterproofing material. In the bottom right quadrant of the second photo, you can see the mall bus turnaround, the inside of which is outlined with a black silt fence. (In spite of how they look in this view, these two photos are not distorted. They are heavily cropped to focus on the center of activity.)
It appears the concrete work on the bus terminal is nearly finished for now. One section of the roof still needs to be completed as you can see in the lower left quadrant of the second photo above. The floor and the walls of the ramp seem to be done.
In the left center of the second photo above, you can see that walls have been built around the escalator and elevator entrances. The top of the walls, which are about four to five feet high, will be at grade level once backfilling and street construction are complete.
Please see our Denver Union Station page at JobSiteVistor.com for more photos.
Rick,
Somewhere in this blog I read that the Union Station complex would go through a phased opening. I understand that first to open will be the new LRT station, the new Chestnut Street, and the 16th Street mall extension to the new LRT station. Do you know if the NW end of the new bus terminal will also open in July, or will it remain closed until the entire bus station is ready – sometime in 2013 as I understand?
Dan, you are right about the phase in of the LRT, mall shuttle, etc. They are expected to open in mid-July. However, the bus terminal itself will not be phased in. It will open all at once. Several months ago, Kiewit moved up its estimated completion date to April 2014.
I’ve heard on the street that the project continues to run ahead of schedule, but no one in an official capacity is willing to confirm that.
Rick,
One more question. In all the renderings there is a large parking garage shown over the tracks from the East and North lines leading into Union Station. Do you know if that is part of the Union Station redevelopment and will in fact be built, or is that just speculative and to be built by private development when needed?
Dan, the parking garage over the tracks was originally part of the plan, however, the developer passed on implementing that part of the plan as the construction of the garage and any associated development above it would have required commencing construction now, before track construction below, and doing so wasn’t economically feasible at this time.
I don’t a have a problem with the elimination of the parking garage, but what worries me is the relocation, and scaling down of the ped bridge. I think the stairs should still land in a nice plaza area right at the terminus of 18th at Wewatta. And it should be a grand staircase and plaza, european style. We’ve only got one chance to do this right, and I’m fairly certain we’ll end up with skinny bridge and staircase that gets burried in one of the building. This should be looked at as a public space opportunity, not strictly a cost cutting move.