St. Paul Union Depot to get major face-lift

The historic Union Depot in St. Paul, Minn., is on the road to restoration, the Star-Tribune reports. The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority on Sept. 21 approved a $149-million construction contract for the renovation and transformation of the building into a transportation hub. The vote was 6 to 1, with Commissioner Janice Rettman dissenting.

Preparation work will start
soon and major construction will get under way in January. Completion is
expected in late 2012.

Mortenson Construction, the
project’s lead contractor, was awarded a $5.5-million contract for design in
January. The Sept. 21 action means Mortenson guarantees the project will be
completed at or under the $148.7 million budget.

The entire project,
including building acquisition and construction, will cost about $243 million.
So far, $139 million has been found from a mix of sources. County officials are
seeking federal grants, state money and other funds to pay for the remaining
$104 million.

Rail Authority Board
Chairman Jim McDonough said he’s confident the project will get some federal
grant money, although it’s highly competitive. He also noted that if the grants
don’t come through, the Rail Authority would be able to pay for the project
without having to raise the levy.

The block-long building
faces 4th Street and sits between Wacouta and Sibley Streets in Lowertown. It
was built between 1918 and 1923 on the site of an earlier train station that
burned in 1915. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

It has been about 40 years
since the depot was a functional transportation center, and Ramsey County
officials have made its renovation a priority over the years.

Many of the design ideas
call for cleaning and bringing back the historic structure.

Work will be done in
coordination with the building of the Central Corridor light-rail line, which
will end at the depot, and the new Lafayette Bridge. Other rail and bus
service, cars and bikes will link to it at the depot. Amtrak and Greyhound have
expressed interest in moving to the facility.

Project planners told
commissioners that there would be road closures and other obstructions during
portions of construction. Christos, the restaurant inside the depot, will
likely be closed for four months next year.

"We’re ready to put
shovels in the ground," McDonough said.