At a recent meeting with the Union Station Redevelopment team, it was discovered that funding for Wynkoop Plaza has been reduced due to unavoidable, project-related increases in costs. These increased costs will force the development team to spend less money at Wynkoop Plaza, which will hinder the integrity of the design. However, there are ways to ensure that funding makes its way to the plaza...
As Wynkoop Plaza will be the center of the Public Realm at Union Station, we need to make sure it's done right! Help us fight for additional funding for Wynkoop Plaza, find additional donations, and make the public space a great area!
Send us your comments and feed back about how important Wynkoop Plaza is to the public:
1. Comment on this Blog
2. Write on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Union-Station-Advocates/43803914945
3. Tweet us
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4. Email us
info@unionstationadvocates.org
We need your support to make sure Wynkoop Plaza becomes all we know it can be!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
December 2 DUSPA Board Meeting Summary
Robin Kniech announced that she would be leaving the board as of the end of the December meeting.
Roger Sherman reviewed the Public Involvement over the past year including:
Roger Sherman reviewed the Public Involvement over the past year including:
- Re-launched the DUSPA website
- Held 4 meetings on DUS public realm
- Held public presentations and did community outreach
- Conducted public walking tours of the DUS site
- Created weekly DUS News Digest and updated Project Fact Sheets
- Organized the Construction Celebration
- A summary was distributed and can be found here
Mike Sullivan gave a project report:
- The project is 26% complete as of November 30.
- The Light Rail component is 57% complete
- The Bus Box is 27% complete
- The Commuter Rail component is 18% complete
- Plazas and ROWs are 19% complete
- The project can boast its 641st accident free day
- Utility relocations have been coming in under budget so far.
- The temporary Amtrak Station was expected to receive its certificate of occupancy on 12.3.10 and noticed was to be sent to Amtrak that they should start its service in the temporary location on February 1st.
- Design is complete on all transit elements except for redesign of track in throat
- Public Realm design is at 60% and final design decisions will be reviewed/decided over the next month with a Peer Group review expected in January, another public meeting in early February and hopefully presentation to Planning Board by end of February. Primary outstanding decisions include paving material and light fixtures.
- A budget review reported that $4 million of the contingency has been spent and $14.5 million is remaining.
- The board approved a new policy for change order approvals that called for DUSPA Board Approval for any change order that uses unallocated contingency funds over $500,000.
- The board approved the 2010/2011 Annual Budgets and Work Plans
- Budget assumes the South Wing Building parcel sale on Dec. 15th
- Budget assumes a sale of Market Street Station and the Triangle Piece in 2011.
- The board approved the Public Involvement Consultant’s Scope of Work and Budget for 2011·
- The board approved the 2nd Amendment to the USNC Master Developer Agreement that helps resolve potential timing issue on Plaza construction and South Wing Building construction.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
FREE 3 Month Membership with Tours
In an effort to encourage membership and truly engage public interest, Union Station Advocates is now offering a FREE 3 month membership with your $10 donation at our semi bi-weekly tours. Memberships offer a unique insight into what is happening on the site and behind the scenes. Perhaps most importantly, our members are directly involved with the project development as we bring their comments directly to the project team. If you're interested in having a one-of-a-kind insight into the Union Station Redevelopment, we encourage you to come joint a tour!
Where: Tours start in front of the historic station at 17th and Wynkoop
When: First, third, and fifth (as applicable) Saturday of each month, 10AM - 11AM, arrive by 955AM. Tours will happen rain or shine.
Who: Limit 15 people per tour, first come first served.
Donation***: $10 per person, cash only
*** Your donation now buys you a 3 month USA membership!
16th Street Mall Progresses
As one of the most iconic identifiers of Downtown Denver, 16th Street Mall is the focus of tourism and City character. The Downtown Denver Partnership, RTD, and the City of Denver are working with private consultants to revamp the pavers and streetscape design in the coming months.
The new design for 16th Street Mall includes 2 options. Option #1 minimizes overall intervention with the current design by maintaining existing transit operations and overall layout. This option keeps the bus lanes, sidewalks, and treeline. Option #2 responds to current solar exposure by transforming the entire mall into an asymmetrical block setup. This setup moves the two lanes of traffic together around the existing south treeline, making the former transit lane an extra-wide walkway with extended patio and kiosk space. This provides more flexible pedestrian space with room for full-scale retail kiosks. It also allows retail access without crossing bus lanes and creates an expanded walkway are as well as a possible third row of trees. It is feasible to make this change while still preserving the ornate diamondback paver design and the design does not disturb the existing Honey-Locust trees.
To learn more about the design options, please see the Downtown Denver Partnership website at www.downtowndenver.com.
The new design for 16th Street Mall includes 2 options. Option #1 minimizes overall intervention with the current design by maintaining existing transit operations and overall layout. This option keeps the bus lanes, sidewalks, and treeline. Option #2 responds to current solar exposure by transforming the entire mall into an asymmetrical block setup. This setup moves the two lanes of traffic together around the existing south treeline, making the former transit lane an extra-wide walkway with extended patio and kiosk space. This provides more flexible pedestrian space with room for full-scale retail kiosks. It also allows retail access without crossing bus lanes and creates an expanded walkway are as well as a possible third row of trees. It is feasible to make this change while still preserving the ornate diamondback paver design and the design does not disturb the existing Honey-Locust trees.
To learn more about the design options, please see the Downtown Denver Partnership website at www.downtowndenver.com.
Kiewit Prices Public Realm Drawings
In the month of November, Kiewit has finalized pricing for 60% public realm drawings. This pricing gives RTD a better idea of final construction costs and project status. As Kiewit moves forward with pricing and drawings, they continue to seek public input and citizen participation.
To encourage designs that have come straight from the Denver citizenry, Union Station Advocates, LoDo District, LoDoNa, and the Downtown Denver Partnership will convene with the City of Denver and RTD in December. Let us know if you have comments you would like us to bring!
To encourage designs that have come straight from the Denver citizenry, Union Station Advocates, LoDo District, LoDoNa, and the Downtown Denver Partnership will convene with the City of Denver and RTD in December. Let us know if you have comments you would like us to bring!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Come Tour Union Station!
Don't forget about our bi-weekley tours! We have another tour coming up this Saturday from 10-11AM, and we would love to see some new faces!
Remember that your $10 donation now buys you a 3 month membership to Union Station Advocates. With this membership you will receive project updates, newsletters, and event invitations. Becoming a member is the BEST way to learn about what's happening at Union Station.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Where: Tours start in front of the historic station at 17th and Wynkoop
When: 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday of each month, 10-11 AM, arrive by 955AM. Tours happen rain or shine.
Who: Limit 15 people per tour, first come first served.
Donation: $10 per person, cash only*
* Your donation now buys you a 3 month USA membership!!!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Roving Reporter in the Field - November
Exciting changes have taken place over the last 30 days at the Union Station site. The dirt and metal has started to take form. Union Station Advocates is proud to offer the point-of-view of our Roving Reporter in the Field, Rick Anstey, who takes notes on daily growth and monthly development. Below are brief updates of the site which have transpired during the month of November:
- Construction of the roof of the bus terminal has been underway since early November.
- Backfilling behind the walls started at about the same time using dirt from the two large piles on the site.
- Concrete partitions are being built to separate machinery (air-handling equipment, etc) from the bus and passenger areas of the terminal.
- The concrete floor for the light rail passenger platform has been poured.
- Renovation of the temporary Amtrak station appears to be complete: the outside walls have been painted, signage has been added, and the parking lot is striped.
- Much of the concrete floor of the Amtrak passenger platform has been poured.
- Frequent updates and detailed photos can be found at www.Denverinfill.com/blog/
Stay tuned for more updates!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Evaluating Future Uses of Union Station
At a public meeting on October 15, RTD presented an informal look at the process RTD will use for evaluating the future uses of the historic station.
The evaluation will address the following issues:
The evaluation will address the following issues:
- Transportation
- Preservation
- Neighborhood
- Public Access
- Finances
Each of the 5 areas are intertwined and must all complement each other with trade-offs required. Public meetings and stakeholder meetings will help to evaluate these issues. Final recommendations regarding these 5 areas are set to be made in February.
If any of our Union Station Advocates members or interested citizens are concerned about these areas of RTD, feel free to let us know! We look forward to hearing RTD's results of this evaluation.
Tour the Denver Union Station Redevelopment Site
In an effort to engage the public and keep the citizens informed, Union Station Advocates, in partnership with DenverInfill, is offering one-hour guided walking tours of the Denver Union Station project site. The tours will provide an overview of this exciting project and a description of current construction activities. Stay engaged and informed about Union Station's transformation by joining Union Station Advocates on a tour!
- Where:
Tours start in front of the historic station at 17th and Wynkoop - When:
First, third, and fifth (as applicable) Saturday of each month
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, arrive by 9:55 AM
Tours will happen rain or shine - Who:
Limit 15 people per tour, first come first served - Donation:
$10 per person, cash only
We look forward to seeing you onsite!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
RTD Forms Stakeholder Group
Over the next three months, a group of stakeholders has been assembled by RTD to assess the possible reuses of Denver Union Station. A recommendation, as decided upon by this group of stakeholders, will be made to the RTD Board of Directors in early February 2011. This post elucidates the stakeholder representatives, purpose, vision, and role.
Members of the Stakeholder Group:
Members of the Stakeholder Group:
- Elbra Wedgeworth/Jerry Glick - DUSPA
- Annie Levinsky - Historic Denver
- Anne Hayes/Ron Straka - Union Station Advocates
- John Desmond - Downtown Denver Partnership
- Mike West - Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association
- Holly Barrett/Chris Shears - Lower Downtown District, Inc.
- Diane Barrett/Ellen Ittelson - City and County of Denver
- Bill Sirois - RTD
- Purpose of the Stakeholder Committee
- Group Member Roles
- Facilitation
- Public Input
- Denver Union Station Vision Statement
- Potential Uses of the Station Building
- Funding/Operations Options for Station Building
- Goal of Consensus
- Public Meeting – October, 14 2010
Launch the Process
Open the Way for Public Input and for Communication between the Stakeholder Group and the Public
Review Vision and Goals
Discuss Tradeoffs
- Stakeholder Meeting #1 - October, 28 2010
Affirm Process and Protocols
Review/Revise/Ratify Goals
Translate These Into Evaluation Criteria
Discuss Data Needs and Begin Data Presentations
First Look – Options/Alternatives
Expert Panel
- Stakeholder Meeting #2 - November, 18 2010
Building Tour
Review Data
3:00 – 5:00 USNC’s office
In Denver Union Station
Expert Panel - Stakeholder Meeting #3 - December 16, 2010
Discuss Options
Expert Panel
- Stakeholder Meeting #4 - January 13, 2011
Review Independent Evaluation
Discuss Options/Alternatives
Identify Most Promising Option or Options
Discuss Governance
Begin Consensus Building on Recommendation to RTD Board
- Public Meeting #2
Present Preliminary Conclusions
Take Feedback
Expert Panel - Stakeholder Meeting #5
Build Consensus on Recommendation to RTD Board, January 27, 2011
Findings to RTD Board, February 1, 2011RTD Board Action, February 15, 2011
We encourage our readers and members to engage in public input meetings! Join us in helping to make Union Station a great public space!
Monday, October 4, 2010
USA September 2010 News Summary
This issue of the USA News Summary provides summaries of DUSPA’s first annual meeting and the public meeting that addressed the latest design refinements to the transit and public realm design. It also provides a construction update, with photo, from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field. For those interested in the paving materials being considered for the Wynkoop Plaza, please see the section describing the viewing location for three paver mock-up displays. Also see a brief description of USA’s inaugural DUS project tour event and information on notice for future tours.
September 2, 2010 DUSPA Summary
This was the first Annual Meeting of the DUSPA Board. A block nomination for re-appointment of the current board was moved, seconded and approved unanimously. It was mentioned that Mark Smith’s resignation from the Metro District Board has created a vacancy on that board.
The Finance Committee reported that the Master Development Agreement Amendment that includes meeting the federal requirements for release of funds was approved.
In the Owner Representative Report, Bill Mosher stated that $926,000 has been drawn on the $3 million advance, and $65 million has been spent to date on the project with $57,950,000 paid.
Regarding the construction status, Mike Sullivan of Kiewit stated that the project is on schedule with the Light Rail Terminal 45% complete, the Bus Box 20% complete, the Commuter Rail Terminal 14% complete and street/plaza 15% complete. Overall the transit portion of the project is 21% complete. The time spent on the project to date is 549 work days. The transit design for streets will be 100% complete by mid-October and the CRT design is 90% complete. He also stated that remediation of ground water is going well.
Bill Mosher stated the public realm design is in the 30% to 60% phase, and there will be a public meeting on September 15th to present the latest design refinements. He was followed by Ken Haines of Hargreaves, the landscape architectural firm for the project, who showed slides of the current thinking for aspects of the public realm including the 17th Street Gardens and the LRT tubes. The slide presentation is posted on the official www.denverunionstation.org website. Ken also showed some samples of paving material for the Wynkoop Plaza and several possible stone samples for seating walls and other uses.
Bill Mosher then stated that the public realm design was in the “trade-off” stage where changes (upgrades) in some areas can be funded by scope reductions in other areas. DUSPA’s current priorities are 1.) 16th Street Mall, 2.) Wynkoop Plaza, 3.) 17th Street Gardens, 4.) LRT Plaza, and 5.) 18th Street Pedestrian Bridge. The Wynkoop Plaza is 1/3rd of the budget (~$8.8 Million) with ~$15.7 Million for the west side of the station. The annual maintenance budget for the overall project is $4 Million. The public art budget is 1% of the total budget.
Kris Takacs of SOM showed slides of recent design refinements which are also available for viewing on the official www.denverunionstation.org website.
Bill Sirois of RTD talked about the formation of a DUS Historic Building Task Force comprised of people from RTD, USNC, DUSPA, and Historic Denver. He stated that there is an internal task force at RTD putting together the process to decide what to do with the station building. There is to be a Stakeholder Group that includes Historic Denver as well as Union Station Advocates and other interested organizations/persons. Michael Hughes from the Center for Science & Public Policy of The Keystone Center has been hired by RTD to facilitate the public process for Station Building.
USNC is analyzing the building including ascertaining prospective uses and estimating costs for renovation. The individual who is conducting the analysis of the building for USNC is Martin Willie. That analysis will inform the public process.
The meeting adjourned without moving into Executive Session.
Paver Mock-ups and Sample Fencing Material
Kiewit has constructed mock-ups of three paver options for Wynkoop Plaza outside of their offices in Union Station (South wing outdoor seating area). Each is 10’x10’ with two of mock-ups having 4”x8” pavers and another with 6”x12” pavers. The mock-ups will remain in place into October.
There is also a sample of the wire mesh fence that will border the 18th Street pedestrian bridge.
September 15, 2010 Public Meeting Summary
Bill Mosher opened the meeting with a brief statement of project progress schedule. He stated that the transit architecture was 95% complete, and the public realm (landscaping) architecture was 50% complete. Overall the project is 20% complete. The Light Rail Terminal is 60% complete, and the bus box is 20% complete. The relocation of AMTRAK will be complete by February 2011.
Next Jim Gast of AECOM spoke to the design of the 18th Street pedestrian bridge and the DUS canopy. The 18th Street pedestrian bridge is a 15’ wide straight walkway from the north Wynkoop Plaza to the future B-block building on Wewatta. The L leg of the bridge to Wewatta has been eliminated and replaced with stairs, elevator and bikeway at the site of the B-block building. This will provide pedestrian access to both 17th and 18th streets. Currently the design shows an 8’ stainless steel fabric fence bordering both sides of the bridge. The DUS canopy will provide cover between the historic station and the train shed. It will stand alone and not touch the historic station. To provide clearance for emergency and service vehicles, the design currently has a 12” encroachment into the view plane of the west side of the station. The roof will be made of a non-transparent opaque material.
Mary Margaret Jones and Ken Haines of Hargreaves next addressed the current design of the public realm. Mary Margaret stated that money saved from a shortened 18th Street pedestrian bridge would allow for the use of stone versus precast concrete in certain places on the Wynkoop Plaza. Concrete pavers would still be used in highly trafficked corridors. Granite would be used to define “a room within a room” on both the north plaza (incorporating the bosque area) and the south plaza (incorporating the fountain area). (As stated in the previous article, these stone and paver options are current on display in the south plaza.) She next spoke to a design change proposed by the City for parking on the west side of Wynkoop Street between 16th and 18th streets. This would require an encroachment into the plaza area to accommodate drop-off and vehicle parking for taxies, buses and cars. Another design refinement is that seat walls are to be spaced 15’ apart, instead of 12’, to facilitate pedestrian flow. When asked about event space on the south plaza, Mary Margaret stated that with the fountain off there would be an area of approximately 120’ by 50’ that could accommodate a stage (under the trees) and 1000 chairs.
Ken Haines addressed lighting and vegetation. Regarding lighting, column lights will be used throughout the project except for Wynkoop Plaza. Up-lights will be used on the Wynkoop Plaza trees and for the LRT tubes. The lights on Wynkoop Plaza will be painted metal, probably gray in color. LEDs will be used to highlight certain features such as the fountain and the base of benches. There will be under-lights on the 17th Street Garden seat walls. The trees under consideration for the Wynkoop Plaza include Lace Bark Elms along the street and Ginkgo trees spaced 22’ apart within the plaza. Initial plantings on the plaza will be trees of 4” to 4 ½” caliper.
The meeting ended with Bill Sirois describing RTD’s process to assess uses and governance/management issues for the historic station. (See 9/2/10 DUSPA report).
September 22, 2010 DUS Construction Update from our Roving Reporter
Most of the July and August newsletter updates were devoted to describing the early stages of construction of the bus terminal floor. Only one month later, that floor is nearly complete. At least 16,000 cubic feet of concrete have been poured. As you can see in the photo, there is only one section remaining.
The new story is the construction of the bus terminal walls. So far, ten wall sections have been poured. Each section is 19 feet high, 50 feet long, and two feet thick. It appears that 20-25 more sections will be needed to enclose the current floor space.
Two rows of 40 pillars rise from the center of the floor. Each pillar will be 12 feet high. So far, the pillars are made only of rebar, but they start to define the separation of the passenger area in the center from the bus-travel area around the perimeter of the terminal.
Twenty-eight foundations for the canopy support posts at the new light rail station have been built, and two of the support posts have been installed. Those posts are the first examples of non-concrete construction. Handicap ramps are currently being built at each end of the line of foundations. Dirt is being trucked in to create a base for the light rail tracks. Soon, rails will be welded together on site in preparation for laying the tracks at the station.
Remember to go to Denverinfill.com/blog/ for frequent updates and photos of the project.
September 22, 2010 Inaugural USA Tour of the DUS Project
In a co-sponsored event with LDDI and LoDoNA, Union Station Advocates conducted a birds-eye tour of the Union Station Project from the balcony of the Anstey’s unit in the Glass House. Despite rainy weather, the view of the project was spectacular and the 40+ attendees appreciated the overview presentations and Q&A sessions conducted by Ken Schroeppel and Rick Anstey. Starting in October, DenverInfill, in conjunction with USA, will be conducting semi-monthly tours of the project. More information about upcoming October tours will be available through www.denverinfill.com/blog or the www.unionstationadvocates.org website.
To download this News Summary in PDF format, please click here.
September 2, 2010 DUSPA Summary
This was the first Annual Meeting of the DUSPA Board. A block nomination for re-appointment of the current board was moved, seconded and approved unanimously. It was mentioned that Mark Smith’s resignation from the Metro District Board has created a vacancy on that board.
The Finance Committee reported that the Master Development Agreement Amendment that includes meeting the federal requirements for release of funds was approved.
In the Owner Representative Report, Bill Mosher stated that $926,000 has been drawn on the $3 million advance, and $65 million has been spent to date on the project with $57,950,000 paid.
Regarding the construction status, Mike Sullivan of Kiewit stated that the project is on schedule with the Light Rail Terminal 45% complete, the Bus Box 20% complete, the Commuter Rail Terminal 14% complete and street/plaza 15% complete. Overall the transit portion of the project is 21% complete. The time spent on the project to date is 549 work days. The transit design for streets will be 100% complete by mid-October and the CRT design is 90% complete. He also stated that remediation of ground water is going well.
Bill Mosher stated the public realm design is in the 30% to 60% phase, and there will be a public meeting on September 15th to present the latest design refinements. He was followed by Ken Haines of Hargreaves, the landscape architectural firm for the project, who showed slides of the current thinking for aspects of the public realm including the 17th Street Gardens and the LRT tubes. The slide presentation is posted on the official www.denverunionstation.org website. Ken also showed some samples of paving material for the Wynkoop Plaza and several possible stone samples for seating walls and other uses.
Bill Mosher then stated that the public realm design was in the “trade-off” stage where changes (upgrades) in some areas can be funded by scope reductions in other areas. DUSPA’s current priorities are 1.) 16th Street Mall, 2.) Wynkoop Plaza, 3.) 17th Street Gardens, 4.) LRT Plaza, and 5.) 18th Street Pedestrian Bridge. The Wynkoop Plaza is 1/3rd of the budget (~$8.8 Million) with ~$15.7 Million for the west side of the station. The annual maintenance budget for the overall project is $4 Million. The public art budget is 1% of the total budget.
Kris Takacs of SOM showed slides of recent design refinements which are also available for viewing on the official www.denverunionstation.org website.
Bill Sirois of RTD talked about the formation of a DUS Historic Building Task Force comprised of people from RTD, USNC, DUSPA, and Historic Denver. He stated that there is an internal task force at RTD putting together the process to decide what to do with the station building. There is to be a Stakeholder Group that includes Historic Denver as well as Union Station Advocates and other interested organizations/persons. Michael Hughes from the Center for Science & Public Policy of The Keystone Center has been hired by RTD to facilitate the public process for Station Building.
USNC is analyzing the building including ascertaining prospective uses and estimating costs for renovation. The individual who is conducting the analysis of the building for USNC is Martin Willie. That analysis will inform the public process.
The meeting adjourned without moving into Executive Session.
Paver Mock-ups and Sample Fencing Material
Kiewit has constructed mock-ups of three paver options for Wynkoop Plaza outside of their offices in Union Station (South wing outdoor seating area). Each is 10’x10’ with two of mock-ups having 4”x8” pavers and another with 6”x12” pavers. The mock-ups will remain in place into October.
There is also a sample of the wire mesh fence that will border the 18th Street pedestrian bridge.
September 15, 2010 Public Meeting Summary
Bill Mosher opened the meeting with a brief statement of project progress schedule. He stated that the transit architecture was 95% complete, and the public realm (landscaping) architecture was 50% complete. Overall the project is 20% complete. The Light Rail Terminal is 60% complete, and the bus box is 20% complete. The relocation of AMTRAK will be complete by February 2011.
Next Jim Gast of AECOM spoke to the design of the 18th Street pedestrian bridge and the DUS canopy. The 18th Street pedestrian bridge is a 15’ wide straight walkway from the north Wynkoop Plaza to the future B-block building on Wewatta. The L leg of the bridge to Wewatta has been eliminated and replaced with stairs, elevator and bikeway at the site of the B-block building. This will provide pedestrian access to both 17th and 18th streets. Currently the design shows an 8’ stainless steel fabric fence bordering both sides of the bridge. The DUS canopy will provide cover between the historic station and the train shed. It will stand alone and not touch the historic station. To provide clearance for emergency and service vehicles, the design currently has a 12” encroachment into the view plane of the west side of the station. The roof will be made of a non-transparent opaque material.
Mary Margaret Jones and Ken Haines of Hargreaves next addressed the current design of the public realm. Mary Margaret stated that money saved from a shortened 18th Street pedestrian bridge would allow for the use of stone versus precast concrete in certain places on the Wynkoop Plaza. Concrete pavers would still be used in highly trafficked corridors. Granite would be used to define “a room within a room” on both the north plaza (incorporating the bosque area) and the south plaza (incorporating the fountain area). (As stated in the previous article, these stone and paver options are current on display in the south plaza.) She next spoke to a design change proposed by the City for parking on the west side of Wynkoop Street between 16th and 18th streets. This would require an encroachment into the plaza area to accommodate drop-off and vehicle parking for taxies, buses and cars. Another design refinement is that seat walls are to be spaced 15’ apart, instead of 12’, to facilitate pedestrian flow. When asked about event space on the south plaza, Mary Margaret stated that with the fountain off there would be an area of approximately 120’ by 50’ that could accommodate a stage (under the trees) and 1000 chairs.
Ken Haines addressed lighting and vegetation. Regarding lighting, column lights will be used throughout the project except for Wynkoop Plaza. Up-lights will be used on the Wynkoop Plaza trees and for the LRT tubes. The lights on Wynkoop Plaza will be painted metal, probably gray in color. LEDs will be used to highlight certain features such as the fountain and the base of benches. There will be under-lights on the 17th Street Garden seat walls. The trees under consideration for the Wynkoop Plaza include Lace Bark Elms along the street and Ginkgo trees spaced 22’ apart within the plaza. Initial plantings on the plaza will be trees of 4” to 4 ½” caliper.
The meeting ended with Bill Sirois describing RTD’s process to assess uses and governance/management issues for the historic station. (See 9/2/10 DUSPA report).
September 22, 2010 DUS Construction Update from our Roving Reporter
Most of the July and August newsletter updates were devoted to describing the early stages of construction of the bus terminal floor. Only one month later, that floor is nearly complete. At least 16,000 cubic feet of concrete have been poured. As you can see in the photo, there is only one section remaining.
The new story is the construction of the bus terminal walls. So far, ten wall sections have been poured. Each section is 19 feet high, 50 feet long, and two feet thick. It appears that 20-25 more sections will be needed to enclose the current floor space.
Two rows of 40 pillars rise from the center of the floor. Each pillar will be 12 feet high. So far, the pillars are made only of rebar, but they start to define the separation of the passenger area in the center from the bus-travel area around the perimeter of the terminal.
Twenty-eight foundations for the canopy support posts at the new light rail station have been built, and two of the support posts have been installed. Those posts are the first examples of non-concrete construction. Handicap ramps are currently being built at each end of the line of foundations. Dirt is being trucked in to create a base for the light rail tracks. Soon, rails will be welded together on site in preparation for laying the tracks at the station.
Remember to go to Denverinfill.com/blog/ for frequent updates and photos of the project.
September 22, 2010 Inaugural USA Tour of the DUS Project
In a co-sponsored event with LDDI and LoDoNA, Union Station Advocates conducted a birds-eye tour of the Union Station Project from the balcony of the Anstey’s unit in the Glass House. Despite rainy weather, the view of the project was spectacular and the 40+ attendees appreciated the overview presentations and Q&A sessions conducted by Ken Schroeppel and Rick Anstey. Starting in October, DenverInfill, in conjunction with USA, will be conducting semi-monthly tours of the project. More information about upcoming October tours will be available through www.denverinfill.com/blog or the www.unionstationadvocates.org website.
To download this News Summary in PDF format, please click here.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
USA August 2010 News Summary
This month’s USA News Summary reports on the August 5, 2010 DUSPA meeting and includes a schedule of public meetings for the next several months. USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field has provided an informative report on construction progress including a recent photo of the in-process bus box and light rail terminal.
August 5, 2010 DUSPA Summary
TIFIA/RRIA LOAN UPDATE
The loans closed on July 23. Both closed with lower interest rates than anticipated. DUSPA is now working on reporting and compliance details.
OWNER REPORT
There will be a new construction schedule issued in the next 30 days. The project is now 18.5% complete. The Light Rail Platform is 30% complete, the Bus Box is 17% and the Streets and Plazas are 16% complete. The 100% completion date has been moved up a month to April 2014 from May 2014. There are 46 months of construction left in the schedule. There have been 521 consecutive work days accident free.
Design will be 100% complete by October for everything but the public realm.
Concrete pours have started and there will be 15 separate pours each needing 110 to 130 concrete trucks. The pour days commence at 3:30 a.m.
The east platform wall is 100% done. The utility relocations are going well.
The USA resolution was distributed to the board members and they were told that the design of the pedestrian bridge was being refined.
Ground water remediation is still a challenge, but they continue to be in compliance yet are trying to become more efficient.
An asbestos survey of the site was done. There are two areas of remediation that are unavoidable. One is the storm line through the north parcel and the other is the waterproof wrap around the pedestrian tunnel.
A revised budget was handed out. There will be a quarterly review of the budget from here on out.
The next DUSPA board meeting will be a tour of the construction site. Starting in September the meetings will be reduced to once a month on the 1st Thursday.
August 24, 2010 USA Construction Update from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field
Since the July newsletter, much progress has been accomplished. Most notable is the construction of the elaborate rebar structure that will provide strength for the floor of the bus terminal.
Multiple flatbed tractor trailers have been delivering loads of rebar each a day for several weeks. Much of it is 60-feet long #10, which is 1.25 inches in diameter and 4.3 pounds per foot. Each piece weighs 258 pounds. After the rebar is unloaded and staged, the crane “flies” it into the specific work spot at a rate of 2.5 tons per flight. The base level of rebar is the typical raw steel. Vertical pieces of green, epoxy-coated rebar are shaped like an upside-down V. Straight, green pieces are tied to the top of the vertical pieces to form a giant three-dimensional grid. Sheets of membrane material that are being installed over the concrete mud slab and under the rebar will adhere to the bottom of the new concrete floor, making the terminal water proof.
Four of 17 sections of the bus terminal concrete floor have been poured. Each section requires 100-140 trucks delivering 1,000-1,400 cubic yards of concrete. The floor is very thick (four feet) to be sure that it will not float once the dewatering system is dismantled and the ground water rises back to its normal level.
Work also continues on other segments of the project. Concrete forms for the bus terminal walls are being constructed and staged along the sides of the hole. Foundations for the new light rail tracks and passenger platform are still being constructed and foundations for the catenary system (overhead electric lines for the light rail) are being installed. Foundations for the elevators and escalators have been completed. Interior renovations of the temporary Amtrak station at Wewatta and 21st streets are nearing completion and work has begun on retaining walls adjacent to the current passenger tracks near the Union Station building.
Remember to go to Denverinfill.com/blog/ for frequent updates and photos.
DUS Construction Celebration Planned for September 7
The Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver Union Station Project Authority and City and County of Denver will host a Denver Union Station Construction Celebration on Tuesday, September 7, 2010, at 1:30 P.M. Governor Bill Ritter, Mayor John Hickenlooper, RTD Chairman Lee Kemp and General Manager Phil Washington will make remarks.
Denver Union Station is the centerpiece of the RTD’s FasTracks transit expansion program and will serve as a multimodal hub for the region. The project will generate thousands of jobs and add more than $3 billion into our state's economy over the next decade, creating jobs and improving transportation mobility choices. With the unique financing structure completed, construction on the transportation facilities is in full swing.
The public is invited to attend and celebrate this remarkable public-private partnership and the impact it will have on our region for generations to come.
RTD Historic Station Building Task Force Update
The following is the update provided to the RTD Board recently concerning RTD’s analysis of the historic Union Station and their process for its future restoration and reuse:
RTD DUS Historic Building Task Force
Meeting since March to develop information for RTD Board decision on long‐term interest in DUS future uses and management
Union Station Neighborhood Development Company (USNC)
Contracted with Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) to develop an assessment of building infrastructure requirements, potential future uses, and capital/operating cost estimates
DUS Historic Structures Assessment (Historic Denver)
Analysis of critical deficiencies and solutions required to rehabilitate, restore or preserve the historical features of the building
Study timing
Important to keep pace with existing DUS construction and to prepare for infrastructure investments needed to support use or current condition
Public investment required
Developing a common understanding of building and investment required for redevelopment is important in weighing viability of future uses
Amtrak facility requirements
Requirement under any scenario to have space for Amtrak to move back into the building
Open process
Stakeholder /public involvement important because of interest and historic importance of the building
Develop goals/objectives for process
Overall goals/objectives to use for framing ultimate Board decision. Steps to develop recommendation for Board:
1. Develop understanding of building through use of USNC ‘s Technical Assessment and Historic Structures Assessment
2. Evaluate types of uses that would be viable for the building
3. Look at options for dealing with capital and ongoing operating costs and evaluate ownership/governance options for the building
Solicit public/stakeholder input
Conduct series of meetings to introduce analysis, solicit input, shape alternatives, display preliminary findings for comment
Third party review
Independent consultant/expert panel to provide feedback to the Board on USNC’s analysis and recommendations from process Provide staff recommendation with feedback and input from process for a RTD Board decision
Next Steps
Aug 24 - RTD Board; process overview/kick‐off
Sept 2 - DUSPA Board: process overview, goals/objectives
Late Sept/early Oct - Initial public meeting
Oct. 5 - FasTracks Monitoring Committee update
Oct/Nov - Stakeholder meetings: ID potential uses, viability
Dec. 7 - FasTracks Monitoring Committee update
December - Stakeholder meetings: review potential uses, governance, costs
Jan. 4 - FasTracks Monitoring Committee update
January - Final public meeting
Feb. 1 - Findings/staff recommendation to Board
Feb. 15 - Board action
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To download a PDF of this news summary, click here.
Friday, August 6, 2010
USA July 2010 News Summary
The big news this month is the signing of the USDOT loan documents for the Union Station project. See News Release immediately below. Also herein are reports on the July 8 and 16 DUSPA meetings and construction progress from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field.
July 23 News Release
Denver Union Station Project Authority Closes
Two Loans with U.S. Department of Transportation
LOANS COMPLETE FUNDING PACKAGE FOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
DENVER – The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the closing today on a $145.6 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan and a $155 million loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program (RRIF) for Denver Union Station (DUS). DUS is the centerpiece of the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks transit expansion program and will serve as a multimodal transportation hub for the region.
“We are delighted the Department of Transportation found a creative way to use different loan programs to help fund the Denver Union Station redevelopment,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “This project will generate thousands of jobs and put more than $3 billion into our state’s economy over the next decade. We are grateful to the Department of Transportation for helping us invest in Colorado’s future and improving transportation options for everyone who lives in and around the metro area.”
The loan closings guarantee the completion of the public transportation infrastructure of the redevelopment including a 22 bay underground bus facility, a light rail station for current and future light rail routes, a commuter rail station that will serve Amtrak and the East, Gold, North Metro and Northwest Rail commuter rail lines, extension of the 16th Street Mall Shuttle and public plazas to integrate transit service with adjacent neighborhoods. “The DUS project is the most important economic development initiative for the City of Denver and the State of Colorado. It has taken commitment and determination from very dedicated Board members, city and RTD leadership, staff and other stakeholders for this project to move forward and it has been worth every step,” said DUSPA Board President Elbra Wedgeworth. “This is a remarkable achievement for DUSPA and our partners.”
The DUS project represents the first time the two federal loan programs have worked together to fund a major infrastructure project. By working with the DOT, the interest rates on the loans are slightly below 4%, well below what could have been secured in the tax-exempt capital markets.
“This transaction has had many loan structuring challenges due to the prospective nature of the tax-increment revenues,” said Claude Pumilia, Denver’s chief financial officer. “We met this challenge by tailoring debt service to our future revenues and using the cash flow to create additional reserves to act as a safeguard, while still meeting the loan repayment criteria.”
In addition to the federal loans, funding for project includes money from state and federal grants and allocations from the FasTracks program.
“Today’s announcement ensures Denver Union Station will be ready when our new transit corridors are completed,” said RTD Chairman Lee Kemp. “This is a critical step in helping deliver the voter-approved FasTracks program that will greatly improve mobility around our region.” Early construction work including utilities relocation and excavation of the regional bus facility has been underway since 2009. The RTD Board approved bridge funding to DUSPA to allow DUS construction to advance while the project awaited approval of the federal loans.
The DUSPA was formed by the City and County of Denver in July 2009 to serve as the financing and contracting entity for the transportation improvements at DUS, through a partnership with RTD, the city, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) and the DUS Metropolitan District.
July 8 and 16 DUSPA Meeting Summaries
TIFIA/RRIF Loans: Legal documents required for closing were approved by the board in a special board meeting on July 16th. It is expected that the loan close sometime during the week of July 19th.
At the July 8th meeting a quarterly draft budget was distributed. It was stated that an updated budget would be distributed every quarter. The budget reflects a total project cost of approximately $481 million dollars. So far there have been 10 change orders to the project with an 11th pending and $4.4 million of the $18.5 million contingency has been used.
The Owner Representative Report included the following construction updates:
- The ground water permit was re-issued two weeks prior to deal with the high iron content. Samples will be taken each Friday and the findings will be averaged monthly. The first tests show that the mitigation measures are working.
- The placement of mud slabs that go down prior to the slab on grade has commenced.
- Waterproofing has started
- Work continues on the Light Bulb Building (Amtrak temporary location)
- Light Rail platform work continues with pouring of foundation walls.
A new based schedule is being prepared reflecting the April 28th Notice To Proceed.
The draft DUS Historic Structures Assessment Report has been completed and submitted to the Owner Representative. This report identifies the improvements that are required to upgrade the building.
July 23, 2010: Report from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field
As reported last month, upgrading the dewatering system to remove high amounts of iron from the ground water brought the project to a halt. After about three weeks, the problems were solved and construction resumed in late-June.
The most recent progress is depicted in the photo below. In the past month, a 6-inch thick mud slab (concrete floor) has been poured over most of the bottom of the bus terminal hole. The purpose of the slab is simply to give the Kiewit construction crew a solid, flat surface upon which to work on building the foundation, which serves as the floor, for the bus terminal. In the center of the photo below is a large white square. That is the concrete mud slab, about half of which is covered with a water proof membrane. Further up the photo is a darker area. That’s concrete covered with the membrane and also covered with a dense amount of rebar. As mentioned in last month’s report, the bus terminal floor will be 4-feet thick. Combining that amount of concrete with tons and tons of heavy-duty rebar (it takes three workers to carry one piece of rebar) will make for a very solid foundation.
Referring again to the photo below, please notice foundations for the two escalators and the sole elevator. They are inside the area covered by the concrete mud slab. Those escalators and the elevator, of course, will eventually carry passengers between the below-grade bus terminal and the street level plaza.
It is difficult to pick out in the photo, but surrounding the mud slab are a 4-foot high concrete forms. They are being installed in preparation for pouring the concrete bus terminal floor on the mud slab, after the membrane and rebar are completed. It will be interesting to watch tens of thousands of cubic yards of concrete flowing into that hole.
Work also continues on the new light rail station and light rail tracks along the consolidated main line (the freight tracks). Likewise, there is ongoing progress on the temporary Amtrak terminal at 21st and Wewatta streets. Visually, those two construction sites are far less dramatic than the bus terminal site.
The best places to view the project are the two pedestrian bridges: the Millennium Bridge and the nearby Union Gateway Bridge. If you like big construction activity, be sure to watch Denverinfill.com/blog/ for information on when the concrete will start pouring into the massive floor.
July 23 News Release
Denver Union Station Project Authority Closes
Two Loans with U.S. Department of Transportation
LOANS COMPLETE FUNDING PACKAGE FOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
DENVER – The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the closing today on a $145.6 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan and a $155 million loan under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program (RRIF) for Denver Union Station (DUS). DUS is the centerpiece of the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks transit expansion program and will serve as a multimodal transportation hub for the region.
“We are delighted the Department of Transportation found a creative way to use different loan programs to help fund the Denver Union Station redevelopment,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “This project will generate thousands of jobs and put more than $3 billion into our state’s economy over the next decade. We are grateful to the Department of Transportation for helping us invest in Colorado’s future and improving transportation options for everyone who lives in and around the metro area.”
The loan closings guarantee the completion of the public transportation infrastructure of the redevelopment including a 22 bay underground bus facility, a light rail station for current and future light rail routes, a commuter rail station that will serve Amtrak and the East, Gold, North Metro and Northwest Rail commuter rail lines, extension of the 16th Street Mall Shuttle and public plazas to integrate transit service with adjacent neighborhoods. “The DUS project is the most important economic development initiative for the City of Denver and the State of Colorado. It has taken commitment and determination from very dedicated Board members, city and RTD leadership, staff and other stakeholders for this project to move forward and it has been worth every step,” said DUSPA Board President Elbra Wedgeworth. “This is a remarkable achievement for DUSPA and our partners.”
The DUS project represents the first time the two federal loan programs have worked together to fund a major infrastructure project. By working with the DOT, the interest rates on the loans are slightly below 4%, well below what could have been secured in the tax-exempt capital markets.
“This transaction has had many loan structuring challenges due to the prospective nature of the tax-increment revenues,” said Claude Pumilia, Denver’s chief financial officer. “We met this challenge by tailoring debt service to our future revenues and using the cash flow to create additional reserves to act as a safeguard, while still meeting the loan repayment criteria.”
In addition to the federal loans, funding for project includes money from state and federal grants and allocations from the FasTracks program.
“Today’s announcement ensures Denver Union Station will be ready when our new transit corridors are completed,” said RTD Chairman Lee Kemp. “This is a critical step in helping deliver the voter-approved FasTracks program that will greatly improve mobility around our region.” Early construction work including utilities relocation and excavation of the regional bus facility has been underway since 2009. The RTD Board approved bridge funding to DUSPA to allow DUS construction to advance while the project awaited approval of the federal loans.
The DUSPA was formed by the City and County of Denver in July 2009 to serve as the financing and contracting entity for the transportation improvements at DUS, through a partnership with RTD, the city, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) and the DUS Metropolitan District.
July 8 and 16 DUSPA Meeting Summaries
TIFIA/RRIF Loans: Legal documents required for closing were approved by the board in a special board meeting on July 16th. It is expected that the loan close sometime during the week of July 19th.
At the July 8th meeting a quarterly draft budget was distributed. It was stated that an updated budget would be distributed every quarter. The budget reflects a total project cost of approximately $481 million dollars. So far there have been 10 change orders to the project with an 11th pending and $4.4 million of the $18.5 million contingency has been used.
The Owner Representative Report included the following construction updates:
- The ground water permit was re-issued two weeks prior to deal with the high iron content. Samples will be taken each Friday and the findings will be averaged monthly. The first tests show that the mitigation measures are working.
- The placement of mud slabs that go down prior to the slab on grade has commenced.
- Waterproofing has started
- Work continues on the Light Bulb Building (Amtrak temporary location)
- Light Rail platform work continues with pouring of foundation walls.
A new based schedule is being prepared reflecting the April 28th Notice To Proceed.
The draft DUS Historic Structures Assessment Report has been completed and submitted to the Owner Representative. This report identifies the improvements that are required to upgrade the building.
July 23, 2010: Report from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field
As reported last month, upgrading the dewatering system to remove high amounts of iron from the ground water brought the project to a halt. After about three weeks, the problems were solved and construction resumed in late-June.
The most recent progress is depicted in the photo below. In the past month, a 6-inch thick mud slab (concrete floor) has been poured over most of the bottom of the bus terminal hole. The purpose of the slab is simply to give the Kiewit construction crew a solid, flat surface upon which to work on building the foundation, which serves as the floor, for the bus terminal. In the center of the photo below is a large white square. That is the concrete mud slab, about half of which is covered with a water proof membrane. Further up the photo is a darker area. That’s concrete covered with the membrane and also covered with a dense amount of rebar. As mentioned in last month’s report, the bus terminal floor will be 4-feet thick. Combining that amount of concrete with tons and tons of heavy-duty rebar (it takes three workers to carry one piece of rebar) will make for a very solid foundation.
Referring again to the photo below, please notice foundations for the two escalators and the sole elevator. They are inside the area covered by the concrete mud slab. Those escalators and the elevator, of course, will eventually carry passengers between the below-grade bus terminal and the street level plaza.
It is difficult to pick out in the photo, but surrounding the mud slab are a 4-foot high concrete forms. They are being installed in preparation for pouring the concrete bus terminal floor on the mud slab, after the membrane and rebar are completed. It will be interesting to watch tens of thousands of cubic yards of concrete flowing into that hole.
Work also continues on the new light rail station and light rail tracks along the consolidated main line (the freight tracks). Likewise, there is ongoing progress on the temporary Amtrak terminal at 21st and Wewatta streets. Visually, those two construction sites are far less dramatic than the bus terminal site.
The best places to view the project are the two pedestrian bridges: the Millennium Bridge and the nearby Union Gateway Bridge. If you like big construction activity, be sure to watch Denverinfill.com/blog/ for information on when the concrete will start pouring into the massive floor.
Membership Renewal Time!
Time to renew your USA membership! Please help us out by renewing your membership today. The easiest way is to renew by credit card or PayPal on our website. Please go to:
http://www.unionstationadvocates.org/membership.html
Thank you for your continued support!
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To download a PDF copy of this month's news summary, please click here.
Monday, June 28, 2010
USA June 2010 News Summary
This month’s News Summary provides reports on the June DUSPA meeting and two construction updates, one from the official source (DUSPA) and one from our Roving Reporter in the Field. The official construction report for June can be found at the end of this News Summary or at: http://www.denverunionstation.org/.
Based on a reader’s comment last month, USA will henceforth attempt to provide a schedule of upcoming (next 30 days) public meetings that have relevance to the Union Station project. In that light, the next DUSPA meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2010 and the next Planning Board meeting is July 7, 2010. The unresolved issues related to the pedestrian bridge from the North side of the Wynkoop Plaza to Wewatta Street will be address at this next Planning Board meeting.
June 10, 2010 DUSPA Report
Reports from DUSPA meetings are included in DUS Construction Reports in the official DUSPA communiqués, which for this and future USA News Summaries will be shown at the end of our monthly News Summaries. If USA makes public comments at future meetings, we will report on the DUSPA Board responses in the next monthly USA News Summary.
June 16, 2010 Planning Board Report
The meeting addressed two issues related to the Denver Union Station project - the connecting canopy and the pedestrian bridge. The connecting canopy and encroachment into the view corridor were approved by LPC and Planning Board on May 5. The pedestrian bridge was split into two parts. The LPC will review the stair as part of the final review of the North Wing Building, expected late this year. The bridge itself was assigned to the Planning Board. Ellen Ittelson of Denver’s Community Planning and Development had submitted in May several reservations related to the bridge. These items have been continued several times and was continued again to July 7. Link to Planning Board meetings: http://www.denvergov.org/PlanningBoard/tabid/431851/Default.aspx
June 17, 2010 “Social Life of Small Urban Spaces” Movie Event
On June 17th USA is co-hosted a film event with the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Planning Association. It was an ideal time for USA members to learn more the social uses of public spaces and, in particular, the proposed public spaces at DUS. The following are the questions (Q), answers (A), and comments (C) made during the discussion that followed the film:
17th Street Promenade:
Q: Does the structure for the bus box allow for adequate fill for plantings? A: Yes, there is approximately 4 ½’ of fill.
Q: Where are the air vents: A: At the light rail plaza
C: Not sure what is going to compel (pull) people into the garden rooms from the wide sidewalk.
C: The linear gardens don’t read so much as rooms as corridors. Perhaps they should be broken up more and made bigger or even create notched areas that make them feel and read more like rooms.
C: Perhaps there should be mountable curbs rather than hard edge curbs and it would be great if the road surface either matched the sidewalk material to create a wall to wall feel. And if that is impossible, than something nicer than asphalt.
C: The movie showed how corners and steps really made great seating areas. Shouldn’t these be incorporated into the plan?
C: Have you considered getting Denver Urban Gardens involved? Perhaps one of the garden rooms could be an urban farming/community garden area. You could lease the space to residents, or create a program that would hire the homeless to maintain it.
C: Will the rooms be flexible, i.e. reconfigurable?
C: Can artwork be placed in the rooms and that may be a reason why they should be reconfigurable.
C: Children’s areas should be considered like permanent hopscotch or a chess board. Something like the Cherry Creek Mall children’s play area.
C: The rigid configuration does not allow for playful meandering throughout the gardens. It would also be fun to peer into the bus box below through the skylight and see the activity. Something like the church window in the film.
C: The rhythm of the linear gardens needs to be broken up by creating something in the center.
C: Need more seating at the edges.
C: Need a zone(s) where people can sit and see each other that encourages interaction.
C: The whole design needs more surprise and engagement rather than being so rigid.
Q: Can there be a water feature? A: No, the structure below does not allow for it.
C: Another idea instead of water is lighting that is reactive to people. Like the ground plane bubble game at the Art Museum.
C: The landscape palette should be designed to offer year round interest.
C: The design is too regimented. Maybe it should be more organic with curves.
Wynkoop Plaza:
C: Ground floor retail needs to be something interactive, not like a bank lobby.
Q: Have sustainable strategies been considered in the design, like water reuse? A: Yes, the fountain recirculates the water.
Q: What about solar power? A: Don’t know about what has been decided on that.
Q: What is the height of the south wing building because perhaps the landscaped side and the plaza side should be reversed: A: 65’ and the south side is the sunniest based on extensive sun and shade pattern study.
C: Perhaps there should be a pathway through the fountain to allow for traffic flow even when it’s on.
Q: Can some evergreens be integrated into the landscape palette. A: No, there are some evergreens on the 17th Street Promenade, but they want the Wynkoop Plaza to be sunny in the winter.
C: There should be good advance planning on the public art component and not just end up with “plop” art at the end of the day. And it should be kid playable.
C: Concern expressed about the sense of arrival and integration of the design and paving materials especially into the context of the site, including the buildings on the other side of Wynkoop.
C: The paving needs to be of the highest quality, not just concrete.
C: The film illustrated that people like to be near the edges and not in the middle, so why put permanent benches in the bosque of trees. They only create barriers.
C: There needs to be more porosity in general.
C: If the fountain is turned off in the winter, there will be nothing in that space. A: The designers are working to make the fountain work year round.
C: The two lines of trees at the plaza edge next to the street will block the view between the street and station building. A: The trees will be spaced widely enough with some gaps to allow for views.
C: The worst experience on the site is the travel path down the stairs. Need to improve that.
C: Carry the paving materials of the plaza onto the crosswalks on the street and on street in front of entrance to station building.
Q: What will be the format/timing for on-going discussion? A: Not sure, but it needs to happen. In particular need feedback on plant selection. DUSPA responsible for public outreach. Space at 30% design. City has yet to approve.
Q: When is Hargreaves back in town to present next revision? Thought it was supposed to be in June. A: Good question and don’t know.
Q: Isn’t there suppose to be a local L.A. on board to help with the plant selection? A: Yes, but there is not one selected at this time.
C: Hargreaves has actually done quite a bit of work in Denver and probably knows about plants that do well in this climate.
Q: How does the public space design integrate with Fastracks? A: The public realm is actually primarily the pedestrian circulation space on the site to facilitate the transit function of the site. But it is also an amenity for the public.
June 22, 2010: Report from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field
First the good news. The photo below compared to the photo in the May 2010 News Summary shows that much has been accomplished in the past month. Excavation has been completed for the first phase of the bus box hole. The 25-foot-deep hole has been dug from the center of Wewatta Street to within 50 feet of the Consolidated Main Line (freight tracks). In this month’s photo, you can see a semi-paved material staging area and a roadway into and along the side of the bus box hole. The roadway will be used as a pathway for the giant crane that it sitting in the staging area. The crane will lift materials from the staging area into the hole to build the structure of the bus terminal.
The retaining walls for the new light rail station have been completed, and foundation work is in progress for the station and light rail tracks.
Work continues on the temporary Amtrak terminal, tracks, and passenger platform at Wewatta and 21st streets. Partitions are being built and utilities are being upgraded inside the terminal. Foundations have been put in place near the tracks, probably for the platform.
Now for the bad news. The dewatering system, which pumps out ground water, cleans it, and dumps it in the river, was overwhelmed by the high iron content of the water. As a result, Kiewit has installed a far larger system and has applied for a permit to use it. While the state ponders the application, work on the project was mostly suspended in early June.
Concrete forms were recently delivered so the four-foot-thick bus terminal floor will probably be built as soon as the dewatering system is fired up, the hole is drained, and work resumes.
Please remember, you can get updates on the project multiple times a week at the DenverInfill Blog.
Based on a reader’s comment last month, USA will henceforth attempt to provide a schedule of upcoming (next 30 days) public meetings that have relevance to the Union Station project. In that light, the next DUSPA meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2010 and the next Planning Board meeting is July 7, 2010. The unresolved issues related to the pedestrian bridge from the North side of the Wynkoop Plaza to Wewatta Street will be address at this next Planning Board meeting.
June 10, 2010 DUSPA Report
Reports from DUSPA meetings are included in DUS Construction Reports in the official DUSPA communiqués, which for this and future USA News Summaries will be shown at the end of our monthly News Summaries. If USA makes public comments at future meetings, we will report on the DUSPA Board responses in the next monthly USA News Summary.
June 16, 2010 Planning Board Report
The meeting addressed two issues related to the Denver Union Station project - the connecting canopy and the pedestrian bridge. The connecting canopy and encroachment into the view corridor were approved by LPC and Planning Board on May 5. The pedestrian bridge was split into two parts. The LPC will review the stair as part of the final review of the North Wing Building, expected late this year. The bridge itself was assigned to the Planning Board. Ellen Ittelson of Denver’s Community Planning and Development had submitted in May several reservations related to the bridge. These items have been continued several times and was continued again to July 7. Link to Planning Board meetings: http://www.denvergov.org/PlanningBoard/tabid/431851/Default.aspx
June 17, 2010 “Social Life of Small Urban Spaces” Movie Event
On June 17th USA is co-hosted a film event with the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Planning Association. It was an ideal time for USA members to learn more the social uses of public spaces and, in particular, the proposed public spaces at DUS. The following are the questions (Q), answers (A), and comments (C) made during the discussion that followed the film:
17th Street Promenade:
Q: Does the structure for the bus box allow for adequate fill for plantings? A: Yes, there is approximately 4 ½’ of fill.
Q: Where are the air vents: A: At the light rail plaza
C: Not sure what is going to compel (pull) people into the garden rooms from the wide sidewalk.
C: The linear gardens don’t read so much as rooms as corridors. Perhaps they should be broken up more and made bigger or even create notched areas that make them feel and read more like rooms.
C: Perhaps there should be mountable curbs rather than hard edge curbs and it would be great if the road surface either matched the sidewalk material to create a wall to wall feel. And if that is impossible, than something nicer than asphalt.
C: The movie showed how corners and steps really made great seating areas. Shouldn’t these be incorporated into the plan?
C: Have you considered getting Denver Urban Gardens involved? Perhaps one of the garden rooms could be an urban farming/community garden area. You could lease the space to residents, or create a program that would hire the homeless to maintain it.
C: Will the rooms be flexible, i.e. reconfigurable?
C: Can artwork be placed in the rooms and that may be a reason why they should be reconfigurable.
C: Children’s areas should be considered like permanent hopscotch or a chess board. Something like the Cherry Creek Mall children’s play area.
C: The rigid configuration does not allow for playful meandering throughout the gardens. It would also be fun to peer into the bus box below through the skylight and see the activity. Something like the church window in the film.
C: The rhythm of the linear gardens needs to be broken up by creating something in the center.
C: Need more seating at the edges.
C: Need a zone(s) where people can sit and see each other that encourages interaction.
C: The whole design needs more surprise and engagement rather than being so rigid.
Q: Can there be a water feature? A: No, the structure below does not allow for it.
C: Another idea instead of water is lighting that is reactive to people. Like the ground plane bubble game at the Art Museum.
C: The landscape palette should be designed to offer year round interest.
C: The design is too regimented. Maybe it should be more organic with curves.
Wynkoop Plaza:
C: Ground floor retail needs to be something interactive, not like a bank lobby.
Q: Have sustainable strategies been considered in the design, like water reuse? A: Yes, the fountain recirculates the water.
Q: What about solar power? A: Don’t know about what has been decided on that.
Q: What is the height of the south wing building because perhaps the landscaped side and the plaza side should be reversed: A: 65’ and the south side is the sunniest based on extensive sun and shade pattern study.
C: Perhaps there should be a pathway through the fountain to allow for traffic flow even when it’s on.
Q: Can some evergreens be integrated into the landscape palette. A: No, there are some evergreens on the 17th Street Promenade, but they want the Wynkoop Plaza to be sunny in the winter.
C: There should be good advance planning on the public art component and not just end up with “plop” art at the end of the day. And it should be kid playable.
C: Concern expressed about the sense of arrival and integration of the design and paving materials especially into the context of the site, including the buildings on the other side of Wynkoop.
C: The paving needs to be of the highest quality, not just concrete.
C: The film illustrated that people like to be near the edges and not in the middle, so why put permanent benches in the bosque of trees. They only create barriers.
C: There needs to be more porosity in general.
C: If the fountain is turned off in the winter, there will be nothing in that space. A: The designers are working to make the fountain work year round.
C: The two lines of trees at the plaza edge next to the street will block the view between the street and station building. A: The trees will be spaced widely enough with some gaps to allow for views.
C: The worst experience on the site is the travel path down the stairs. Need to improve that.
C: Carry the paving materials of the plaza onto the crosswalks on the street and on street in front of entrance to station building.
Q: What will be the format/timing for on-going discussion? A: Not sure, but it needs to happen. In particular need feedback on plant selection. DUSPA responsible for public outreach. Space at 30% design. City has yet to approve.
Q: When is Hargreaves back in town to present next revision? Thought it was supposed to be in June. A: Good question and don’t know.
Q: Isn’t there suppose to be a local L.A. on board to help with the plant selection? A: Yes, but there is not one selected at this time.
C: Hargreaves has actually done quite a bit of work in Denver and probably knows about plants that do well in this climate.
Q: How does the public space design integrate with Fastracks? A: The public realm is actually primarily the pedestrian circulation space on the site to facilitate the transit function of the site. But it is also an amenity for the public.
June 22, 2010: Report from USA’s Roving Reporter in the Field
First the good news. The photo below compared to the photo in the May 2010 News Summary shows that much has been accomplished in the past month. Excavation has been completed for the first phase of the bus box hole. The 25-foot-deep hole has been dug from the center of Wewatta Street to within 50 feet of the Consolidated Main Line (freight tracks). In this month’s photo, you can see a semi-paved material staging area and a roadway into and along the side of the bus box hole. The roadway will be used as a pathway for the giant crane that it sitting in the staging area. The crane will lift materials from the staging area into the hole to build the structure of the bus terminal.
The retaining walls for the new light rail station have been completed, and foundation work is in progress for the station and light rail tracks.
Work continues on the temporary Amtrak terminal, tracks, and passenger platform at Wewatta and 21st streets. Partitions are being built and utilities are being upgraded inside the terminal. Foundations have been put in place near the tracks, probably for the platform.
Now for the bad news. The dewatering system, which pumps out ground water, cleans it, and dumps it in the river, was overwhelmed by the high iron content of the water. As a result, Kiewit has installed a far larger system and has applied for a permit to use it. While the state ponders the application, work on the project was mostly suspended in early June.
Concrete forms were recently delivered so the four-foot-thick bus terminal floor will probably be built as soon as the dewatering system is fired up, the hole is drained, and work resumes.
Please remember, you can get updates on the project multiple times a week at the DenverInfill Blog.
June 2010 Official Denver Union Station Project Update (from DUSPA)
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN FULL SWING
Construction activities for the Denver Union Station transit Improvements started in earnest in mid-February 2010, with utility relocations and establishment of a long-term traffic shift on Wewatta Street between 20th Street and 16th Street. Design and engineering for the project has been ongoing since May 2009.
Construction elements include:
- Underground Regional Bus Facility - 1,100 feet long, 22 bus bays
- Relocated light rail - Three sets of track, two platforms with canopies
- New relocated 16th St. Mall Shuttle turn around
- Commuter Rail Train Hall - eight sets of tracks, five platforms, 44,000 sq. ft.
- PTFE membrane canopy (similar to DIA roof)
- Public plazas and pavilions
- Street improvements
The construction boundaries are from 19th Street on the north to 16th Street on the south and from Union Station on the east to the consolidated mainline freight tracks on the west. Construction will be done in phases due to requirements to maintain street access, utilities, light rail service and 16th Street Mall Shuttle service. The phase in process now includes construction of the light rail tracks and platform at the west end of the project adjacent to the freight tracks, construction of the underground bus facility from the new LRT platform to Wewatta, and the construction of the temporary Amtrak Station. (Amtrak will operate out of a temporary facility on 20th and Wewatta from the autumn of 2010 until project completion.)
What has happened so far...
- Excavated 150,000 cubic yards of dirt for the underground bus facility.
- 65,000 cubic yards of dirt piled 45 feet high to be used to backfill around the bus facility when the structure is complete.
- At the deepest point, the hole is 26 feet deep.
- Support walls have been built at the west and east ends of the excavation to provide support. The north and south sides will be sloped back at a ratio of 2:1.
- Began dewatering of the construction area. In order to dig an excavation 26 feet deep, ground water must be pumped out so that the work area will be dry. Once the structure is complete and backfilled with dirt, the pumps will no longer be needed.
- Two 300-foot long retaining walls for the light rail tracks and platform have been built. The ground level for the LRT platform will be six feet higher than what is there currently and these walls will support the LRT and the new grade level.
- Eight different utility lines have been moved or installed. With any construction project, many water, sewer, electrical and communication utilities must be removed, installed or improved to current codes. This process will be ongoing.
- 7,700 feet of unused track and 4,000 ties have been removed.
- Remodeling of the building at corner of 21st and Wewatta for use as temporary Amtrak Station has started.
UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
During the month of June, the excavation of the current phase of construction of the underground bus facility will be completed and the conveyor system will be demobilized. The soil stock piles will be sprayed with "DirtGlue," a tackafier to keep the dirt from blowing or eroding away.
Construction of the bus facility structure will begin. Crews are building a "laydown" yard using crushed rock and fabric to store equipment and materials as well as building a "road" for the cranes that recently arrived on site. The cranes will be used for moving rebar and forms, placing girders and pre-cast beams. By the end of June, underslab structures (lift stations and sand oil separator) will be complete and the mud slab will have started.
DUSPA NEWS
The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA), comprised of eleven voting members and two non-voting members, continues to manage all finance, design and construction activities of the Denver Union Station redevelopment project. Recent progress includes:
- DUSPA executed a PRNS (Projects of Regional and National Significance) Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
- The accounting firm BKD completed the 2009 audit and presented its report to the DUSPA Board of Directors on May 13th.
- The RTD Board of Directors approved an additional loan to DUSPA that will provide a local match for a state SB-1 grant awarded to the DUS Project. Between the RTD loan and the State grant about $8 million will become available and will allow DUS construction to advance through June while the project awaits receipt of the federal loans.
The next meeting of the DUSPA Board of Directors is Thursday, June 10, 2010, at 1:30 P.M. Meetings are held at the offices of Hogan Lovells, 1200 17th Street, Suite 1500.
PROJECT ASPIRES FOR LEED CERTIFICATION
With the concern in our society about "green" buildings and construction methods, the Denver Union Station Transit Improvement Project is working to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification. LEED is a third-party certification program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
Certification levels are determined by a point system for specific criteria:
- Sustainable Sites (SS)
- Water Efficiency (WE)
- Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
- Materials and Resources (MR)
- Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)
- Innovation and Design (ID)
- Regional Priority
The DUS project is one of the only multi-modal transit construction projects in the country seeking LEED certification.
One element for consideration is "Construction Waste Management." Instead of throwing all construction waste on-site into a single "Trash" dumpster, the debris is sorted by material type and placed in labeled bins that will be taken to local recycling facilities for re-use. To date, the project team has diverted 5,000 tons of construction waste from local landfills.
INTERESTED IN A DUS PRESENTATION? CALL THE PI TEAM.
Curious about the big hole being dug behind Union Station? Interested in learning about future transit improvements coming to LoDo? Wondering what the future Union Station Neighborhood will look like? Fear not, the DUS Public Information Team is available to make presentations or to facilitate "Learn at Lunch" brown-bag discussions. Please contact us at 303-592-5465 to schedule a presentation or if you have questions about the project.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
One of the best ways to get the latest information on the Denver Union Station redevelopment is to ensure we have your current email address. Our periodic e-updates will provide you with the latest information about the project. As full construction continues for the next four years, you will be able to stay on top of this exciting redevelopment project.
Website:
www.denverunionstation.org.
Email:
info@denverunionstation.org
Phone:
Construction information: Hunter Sydnor, 303-209-9822
General information: Roger Sherman, 303-592-5465
Membership Renewal Time!
For those of you that joined Union Station Advocates in early 2009, it is now time to renew your membership! Your continued support is much appreciated. Please keep an eye out for an email concerning your membership renewal or you can go to the USA membership webpage and renew today: http://www.unionstationadvocates.org/membership.html
Thank you for your continued support!
Union Station Advocates Roundtable
The Roundtables continue to be an effective and engaging meeting allowing our members to have informal discussions on important issues of the Union Station project. Led by USA board member and architect Levi Reeves, each Roundtable meeting provides the opportunity for attendees to discuss in-depth a topic associated with the Union Station project. A few days before each Roundtable, all USA members will receive an invitation via email for the upcoming meeting with an opportunity to RSVP.
Union Station Advocates Is Now On Facebook!
Are you a USA member or just excited about our historic Union Station and its big transformation? Join us on Facebook by being a fan of Union Station Advocates! Here’s a link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Union-Station-Advocates/43803914945?ref=ts
To download a PDF copy of this news summary, click here.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
USA May 2010 News Summary
This issue contains updates on the Union Station project construction, plus reports of design meetings and decisions. There are also two corrections to the April 2010 News Summary provided by Tom Gougeon of Union Station Neighborhood Company. This News Summary starts with an invitation to a free event that USA is co-sponsoring.
On June 17th USA is co-hosting the event described on the image below with the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Planning Association. This is an ideal time for USA members to learn more the social uses of public spaces and in particular about the proposed public spaces at DUS.
DUS Construction Update:
Construction is moving quickly at Denver Union Station as crews continue to excavate dirt on the site of the future underground regional bus facility. Crews also are continuing to remove old track from Wewatta St. Specific activities are listed below. To stay up to date with the latest construction information, become a subscriber to our e-updates. You can sign up by visiting the project website, www.denverunionstation.org. We appreciate your cooperation during these activities and apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.
April 26:
-The track removal operations continue moving south between 16th St. and 14th St./South Platte River.
April 27 to 30:
-Remove unused track, ties and turn-outs along Wewatta St. between 16th St. and 15th St.
-Removed materials will be relocated to the north side of 16th St. into the DUS construction area.
-Flaggers will direct loaders across 16th St. in coordination with RTD's mall bus traffic and pedestrians.
April 30 to May 3:
-Remove track, ties and turn-outs along Wewatta St. between 15th St. and 14th St/South Platte River.
-Removed materials relocated to the north side of 15th St.
-Flaggers will direct loaders across 15th St. in coordination with traffic light.
-Traffic on Wewatta St. will be shifted to the west.
-Pedestrians will be directed to use the sidewalk on the south side of Wewatta St.
-Driveway/alleyway access from Wewatta St. adjacent to 1400 Wewatta St. will be closed during the day. Access will be open at night and over the weekend.
Weeks of May 3 and May 10:
-Track removal and ITS installation in the intersection of Wewatta St. and 15th St.
-This activity will require lane reductions and shifts to accommodate the work.
DUS in the News:
Have you missed a recent news article or blog posting about the Denver Union Station project? Check out the weekly DUS News Digest by visiting the Media Center at www.denverunionstation.org.
DenverInfill following DUS Project:
DenverInfill.com, a website and blog dedicated to the promotion of Denver's continued growth and revitalization through infill development and other aspects of quality urbanism, is now following the Denver Union Station project. Rick Anstey is the newest DenverInfill contributing blogger and will be blogging about DUS from his Glass House residence overlooking the project. To read Rick's updates, visit www.denverinfill.com/blog/
Where can I get more information?
One of the best ways to get the latest information on the Denver Union Station redevelopment is to ensure we have your current email address. Our periodic e-updates will provide you with the latest information about the project. As full construction continues for the next four years, you will be able to stay on top of this exciting redevelopment project.
Website:
www.denverunionstation.org
Email:
info@denverunionstation.org
Phone:
Construction information: Hunter Sydnor, 303-209-9822
General information: Roger Sherman, 303-592-5465
DUS Construction Update
Construction activities on 15th St. and Wewatta St. will be ongoing for the next week. Crews will be removing unused track and installing communication fiber. Motorists and pedestrians traveling in this area should use caution and be aware of construction activity.
Saturday May 8, 2010 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
-Crews will be removing unused track
-There will be various lane restrictions
-Traffic patterns will be changing throughout the day
Tuesday May 11, 2010 - Friday, May 14, 2010 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. each day
-Crews will be installing communication fiber
-There will be various lane restrictions
-Traffic patterns will be changing throughout the week
Saturday, May 15, 2010 6 a.m. - 5 pm (if needed)
-Crews will asphalt pave the area affected areas
-There will be various lane restrictions
The retaining wall at the new light rail station will enable the light rail tracks to be raised several feet above the adjacent freight tracks of the Consolidated Main Line. The new light rail station will be built to the north of the retaining wall, and another retaining wall will be built further north of the light rail station, all of it in a line parallel to the freight tracks.
Since the last update, about half of the passenger train tracks behind the historic station have been removed and hauled away. For now, the tracks used by Amtrak’s California Zephyr remain in place. However, preparation work has started on new, temporary tracks near the building that will become Amtrak’s temporary passenger terminal, which is immediately north of the spot where Wewatta Street passes over 20th Street.
Note: For official construction notices, sign up to receive project updates and notifications at: www.denverunionstation.org and, in the lower right corner of the home page, enter your email address, then click on GO. You can also follow along with DUS construction updates, including photos, at the DenverInfill Blog (www.DenverInfill.com/blog/)
Two minor errors, submitted by Tom Gougeon, Principal and Chief Development Officer at Continuum Partners:
IMA will be occupying about 70,000 sq. ft. of space in the North Wing building initially, not 7,000. The North Wing building design is not 85% complete. I believe the reference was to the transit architecture and bus box elements being 85% complete. The North Wing is finishing schematic design at present, so is closer to 20-30% complete.
Thanks, Tom!
Discussion Items:
TIFIA/RRIF Progress Report - the following items are remaining to finalize the loans and they are almost done:
a. FTA Compliance Agreement
b. Budget and Draw Schedule
c. Finalize the Rating
d. Legal Opinions
e. Supplemental Indentures for each loan
f. Sample Invoice and Draw Approval
Finance Committee Report -
a. There is a DRCOG grant in the amount of $2.5 million that was slated to be available in 2012. It’s now possible that DRGOC would consider the grant for Fall of 2010. A letter needs to be sent from the DUSPA board by May 12th agreeing to spend this money. Officially the money is available from DRCOG for improvements to facilities that relate to the North I-25 Bus/HOV lanes. The bus box at DUS certainly can fit into this category.
b. The agreement with the financial consultant was amended to reflect some additional costs and approved by the DUSPA board.
Owner Rep Report-
a. Construction Progress – excavation of the bus box continues. The tail track removal has begun. The Amtrak station relocation has begun.
b. Plans/Approvals - The recent Landmark Commission meeting went well and the next step is Planning Board on May 5th. The items remaining to be addressed include the 18th Street bridge, the DUS canopy and the final plaza plans.
c. The final project budget was presented and approved by the DUSPA Board. The final total project budget is $481 million. This final version includes moving $8.7 million from the unallocated contingency category to change orders. This leaves $10 million in the unallocated contingency category. This is only 2% of total budget, but since the plans are significantly completed there is less risk of cost overruns.
d. A first draw that will cover costs through end of March is being prepared so it can be submitted at loan closing.
At the joint Planning Board and LPC meeting on May 5, 2010, two issues were discussed:
-The canopy between the historic building and the train hall, which was approved with the latitude of up to a 2’ encroachment into the 17th Street view plane.
-The two staircases and the pedestrian bridge between the north side of the Wynkoop Plaza and Wewatta St. This later issue was approved WITH CONDITIONS by the LPC (for the Wynkoop Plaza staircase), but the bridge and the Wewatta staircase approval by the Planning Board was deferred to the May 19th meeting (which will also consider the exhaust vents at the LRT).
The staircase from the pedestrian bridge to the Wynkoop Plaza is to be an integral component of the North Wing Building. It was stated that the staircase and the pedestrian bridge colors would be compatible with this building.
There are several considerations related to the design of the pedestrian bridge and the Wewatta staircase that require additional attention. Kristopher Takacs of SOM will respond to them at the May 19 Planning Board meeting. Two of the major considerations are the use of steel mesh for the primary fence material that spans the pedestrian bridge over the tracks and the very utilitarian (industrial) design of the Wewatta staircase. Other considerations include:
-The concrete paving on the bridge itself (not yet selected)
-Incorporation of the transit architecture vocabulary
-The transition between the staircases and the bridge
-Treatment of the west-end stairs and elevator
-Visual relief on the pedestrian bridge
-Integration of the bridge supports within the CRT platform
-The design shows a chiller attached to the west-end stairs that was questioned
Of interest was the possibility that a “kinetic plaza” could be added back in the future if desired and funded.
The Planning Board met to discuss open issues related to the Pedestrian Bridge from Wynkoop Plaza to Wewatta held over from the May 5th meeting. Considerations of these issues remained under review, so it was decided that these issues will not be addressed until the June 17, 2010 meeting.
The Planning Board did approve Urban Design package #2 which covered design issues from Wewatta Street to Denver Union Station including the Wewatta St. Pavilion, the CRT Train Hall, and the CRT platforms, vertical circulation and canopies.
As of May 26, 2010, l
In the photo above, you can see the conveyor system, the bulldozer and the excavator hard at work. Most of the hole has reached its ultimate depth. You can also see that “sheet pile” has been driven vertically into the ground in the bottom of the hole, forming two boxes. The insides of the boxes will be dug out. The sheet pile will hold back dirt and ground water so that utilities can be installed in an area under the floor of what will become RTD’s bus terminal.
You may wonder how the bulldozer operator knows when to stop digging. It’s easy. Kiewit uses GPS technology to pin-point the exact location of the dozer with sensors mounted on the blade. The operator knows the precise depth of the hole at all times.
In early May, renovation of Amtrak’s temporary terminal began at a small white building located at the intersection of Wewatta and 21st streets. DRG Construction, which is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, is doing the work. Kiewit Construction has also started work on the temporary tracks for Amtrak’s California Zephyr across Wewatta from the temporary terminal. The terminal and the tracks are expected to be operational in the fall of 2010. At that time, Amtrak will move out of Union Station for the next 3-4 years.
Please remember, you can get updates on the project multiple times a week at http://denverinfill.com/blog/
For those of you that joined Union Station Advocates in late 2008 or early 2009, it is now time to renew your membership! Your continued support is much appreciated. Please keep an eye out for an email concerning your membership renewal or you can go to the USA membership webpage and renew today: http://www.unionstationadvocates.org/membership.html
Thank you for your continued support!
The Roundtables continue to be an effective and engaging meeting allowing our members to have informal discussions on important issues of the Union Station project. Led by
Are you a USA member or just excited about our historic Union Station and its big transformation? Join us on Facebook by being a fan of Union Station Advocates! Here’s a link:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Union-Station-Advocates/43803914945?ref=ts
Click HERE for a PDF version of this monthly news summary.
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