Micki Maynard · Another Try At Reinventing Chicago’s Union Station

December 12th, 2011


Chicago’s Union Station is an imposing legend in the railroad world. For generations, it has been the place where east meets west. It’s the spot where many Midwesterners arrive on their first train ride. And it was featured in North By Northwest, the Alfred Hitchcock film starring Cary Grant.

Chicago's Union Station

But the station, which was last remodeled in 1992, has become crowded and inefficient. The third busiest rail terminal in the United States, it handles more than 300 trains per day and 120,000 passengers. Many proposals have been floated for rethinking Union Station — and now, officials are trying again.

The station is the subject of a new master plan that is scheduled to be presented Thursday night, Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Rob Hilkevitch says local officials want to be sure the station can handle increased traffic that’s expected when Sara Lee moves some of its operations to Chicago’s West Loop, as well as demand from commuters. 

Among the goals, Hilkevitch says, are:

1) Increasing capacity to handle more trains

2) Building a bus terminal so that commuters can transfer more easily to their connections

3) Launching an east-west transit system that would link the terminal with Michigan Avenue, and eventually Navy Pier (the city’s most visited attraction, and home to our partner station WBEZ)

4) Easing congestion with cars and bicycle riders

Cary Grant and crew rehearse in Union Station, via ShortKnightHitchBlog.org

It isn’t the first time such promises have been made, Hilkevitch says: “Remember architect Helmut Jahn’s proposal for a separate high-speed rail station east of the old post office? Or the original Daniel Burnham proposal for Union Station with an office tower? Union Station has seen more deconstruction, like the demolition of the original concourse building in 1968.”

The public will get a chance to weigh in Thursday, the Tribune reported. CDOT and Amtrak will hold a public meeting from 4 to 7 p.m. CT in the Union Gallery, just off the Great Hall in Union Station. It will be an open-house format with experts and visuals explaining ideas under consideration. A narrated presentation will be made at 4:30 p.m. and again at 6 p.m.

“This is a chance for people to see the thinking that has gone into these issues” and offer feedback, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told the Tribune.

A final Master Plan report will be issued in early 2012.

Are you a Chicagoan or a visitor who uses Union Station? What would you like to see happen with it?

 

Category: Biztech, Chicago, Communities, Government, Rail, Union Station
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