Union Station Fully Funded, Could Be Open In 2016

Raleigh Union Station interior before renovation

This is a short one but a good one. Some great news out of the future Raleigh Union Station last week.

Mayor Nancy McFarlane welcomed Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo to Raleigh today for the announcement that the Union Station Project will receive the full $60 million in funding.

*Full Funding for Raleigh’s Union Station Project Is Announced

The video of the announcement can be seen below or on Youtube.

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18 Comments

  1. This design needs to make a statement!! Thus, do not involve Clearscapres or ANY local designers, they are lame and have no vision. Clearscapes did a poor job on the convention center design, NO character.
    This station welcomes people to Raleigh, it needs to be a signature design, needs to make a technology statement, very open with a lot of light coming into building and MUST have a large number of amenities in and around building (shops, restaurants, a hotel is a MUST part/connected to this building/area when the station opens (not after it opens).

    Partner with a out of state developer NOW for retail, shops, restaurants, hotel, etc.). A developer that has vision for transit and urban design.

  2. I agree with Nick. For way too often, design has been thrown under the bus (on in this case, train) by the city. This MUST be a statement building that anchors the entire Warehouse District. It has to be positioned to be the game changer that it must be for DT Raleigh.

  3. I agree with the above except in the case where it has to be an out of state developer. You can’t tell me that all developers in state / local are complete idiots in regard to design. I say the city should take submissions both local and out of state.

  4. Agree with Nick and John!!!:

    DPK: Name ONE local or state developer that has shown VISION on ANY project in this state? And please, don’t mention anything in Charlotte, there is nothing that stands out, that downtown has NO character, everything looks the same (anyone who thinks that their growth and development is unique is completely wrong – that skyline looks like a very small block in the OLDEST area of NYC)

    Union Station is to important to Raleigh’s future for a local or state developer to take the lead or be part of the team (agree: Clearscapes should be working on Chick-fil-A’s, not downtown projects). NO ONE knows how to develop transportation with mixed use and urban design in our state.

    Go get a big city expert and do this right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. You folks may be surprised by what Clearscapes designs. We do not need a New York City architect to design something in Raleigh.

    These architects are smart guys and talented ‘creatively speaking’. Just because they designed some building that you don’t care for doesn’t mean they aren’t talented. You have to undrstand that they are designing a ‘flex-office’ space building for example for some developer (with a budget). something that typically is ‘boring’ by our tastes.

    This is different that what Clearscapes architects “WANT” to design, something they have a passion for, which i would think this building would qualify. Remember, their names will be branded on a hopefully “iconic” structure for a long, long time.

  6. klingstubbins and gensler both with local offices. not everything is doom and gloom – i swear some people complain just because they can. of course if you LOOK for bad designs you will find them. tons of well-designed, unique, and character-filled projects in Raleigh – just look for them.

  7. And Uncle Jesse is completely correct! Maybe Nick and Thomas should invest some time into Googling the Clearscapes projects before bashing them.

  8. Again with this ignorant comment from Nick? What does Charlotte have to do with New York? And why can’t a local architect design our, um, *our* train station? If you want a skyline, move somewhere else if that is all you care about.

  9. The DOT did a good job with the stations in Durham and Greensboro. If we get something like that (but larger because we have more traffic) I think we’ll all be (at least moderately) pleased. I’m not entirely sure where they’d put a hotel, the area around the current warehouse is supposed to have a new bus terminal in the future for TTA, CAT and Greyhound.

  10. Hmm.. I kinda agree.. Make a statement.. Have retail.. Have a REAL lounge like virgin trains or something.. Have a hotel.. Have a gift shop.. And have space for buildout…decent size bathrooms… Natural lighting.. Electronic arrivals/departures board or better yet, have monitors like RDU.. And I agree.. Have the local companies contribute something that lets visitors know you are visiting Raleigh! Red Hat shout have something.. Wake Med should have a mini clinic.. Duke energy or whatever it’s called should sponsor something.. PNC should sponsor something. Not only will it get their name out there but it will also provide a good intro to the city…

  11. Adam K, I took that picture inside the building during a tour back in 2011. Yes, that is the current state of the building still.

  12. Well there are a total of 8 trains every day (soon to increase to 12). I’m not sure all that construction will be required or even desired. It’s not that big of a space and a big chunk of it will be the waiting area. I can see a magazine stand/convenience store and a cafe/bar both being useful and necessary. It’s something of a misnomer to label it a ‘Grand Central-style’ terminal, which is what the city likes to do. What we need is a train station with a platform big enough for the trains to load and a waiting room big enough for all the passengers to sit and a parking lot big enough for all the cars. That’s what we’re going to get as well, at least with this round of construction.

  13. I’m not thinking small, it’s just that we had to fight tooth and nail for $60 million and a Grand Central terminal (even on a small scale) would be in the hundreds of millions(the original idea was a $212 million terminal) and that money just doesn’t exist.

  14. I’m very excited for this project. I’m an urban planning student at ECU from Raleigh and I graduate 2016. Hopefully I will be a planner in Raleigh when all of this is taking shape.

    For the first two comments, those are very critical and void of perspective. Ask any citizen of Raleigh what they think about the convention center, most likely they find it aesthetically pleasing. It’s different and well budgeted design. It’s the foot of our skyline. The Central Station can be designed by whomever, the most important factor of the project is it’s function and accessibility. Hopefully it will spur taller and more dynamic developments in the warehouse district, backed by private investors who will pay top dollar for the design that is coupled with the function of the building.d

  15. Nick – that’s a pretty ignorant comment as is the statement from Thomas that Clearscapes has no business working on projects downtown… while I agree Raleigh still has a long way to go, much of the good downtown wouldn’t be what it is today without their involvement over the past 20+ years… marbles, imax, hudson, the creamery, artspace, CAM, helios, the prairie building, arts together, etc.

    In terms of development potential, the railroad seems to have jumped the gun with the sale of the largest two buildings to Citrix… its a shame because of their proximity to the station and the possibility of integrating retail/etc rather than an enormous headquarters and a parking garage. If you ask me, a little master planning with the stakeholders before the sale could have gone a long way.

  16. Agree with Nick, Clearscapes is not a creative group. Convention Center is a perfect example of a bland design with no vision. I can imagine the second phase of the convention center, if this EVER moves forward, will be just as boring as Phase one. downdown dweller, get a clue!

  17. Ever been to the town of Saxapahaw and seen the Haw River Ballroom and the Rivermill? Definitely a Clearscapes project with vision which has become a catalyst for the community not to mention a beautiful reuse project. Or possibly heard of Echoview? Your full of it if you think they should be designing Chick-Fil-A’s… that the furthest thing from what they’re known for.

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