Through a $243 million renovation that has long been in the works, the historic St. Paul Union Depot will become a multimodal transit hub, providing access to the region, Milwaukee, Chicago, and beyond.
The project broke ground on Jan. 18.
St. Paul policy director Nancy Homans says it'll be a center of transportation activity akin to transit hubs in New York City and Washington, D.C. "It's a strong element of the regional economy."
Amtrak, metro area buses and express buses, the
Central Corridor Light Rail line, and pedestrian and bicycle traffic will run through the depot.
Greyhound and
Jefferson bus lines might also come into play, according to city information.
It harks back to the 1881 depot's early days, when it was known as the transportation center of the Upper Midwest and the gateway to the Northwest, according to historical information from
Ramsey County Regional Rail.
Financing for the renovation comes from a combination of county, state, and federal funds, including $50 million from the last federal transportation bill and $35 million in
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to city information.
Ramsey County is studying what kind of activity should go on there to make it more than a pass-through. After all, Homans explains, "It's an economic center, in and of itself."
As the region grows and develops over the next several decades, having more people taking advantage of public transit will lead to less congestion. "Businesses today say there's a congestion tax," with trucks sitting in traffic.
The project represents a shift away from highway building, which she characterized as a drag on the economy. "It frees up the resources that would be put into roads and highways and draws it to the center," she says. "It's much more efficient for the long term."
A more efficient system can "set a pattern of activity to save the planet and support the economic prosperity of the region."
Trains last ran at the depot 40 years ago. It was mothballed and then part of it was used by the U.S. Postal Service. Eventually the county acquired it for the transit project.
"It's a very cool building," she says, adding that the renovation will make it a "wonderful asset."
The renovation project is planned to wrap up in 2012.
Source: Nancy Homans
Writer: Anna Pratt