Lodo District Forum

Join us for the Lodo District Forum which will provide information regarding improved parking options and new transit opportunities for the community.  Speakers include Jose Cornejo of Denver Public Works and Phil Washington of RTD. 

Please see the below flyer for information.




















Lodo District Forum:

Parking & Transit in LoDo
Thursday, January 31
5-7PM
Chloe Lounge, 1445 Market Street
Complimentary cocktails and finger foods.
Cash bar and full menu available.

RTD PUBLIC MEETING: WYNKOOP PLAZA

Please join RTD FasTracks for the DUS Wynkoop Plaza Public Meeting

Join us as we explain the process for the RTD Board to make a decision about how to program and manage this public open space feature.

 

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Regional Transportation Administrative Offices

1600 Blake Street, Rooms T & D

For further info: 303-299-2787 or mike.turner@rtd-fastracks.com

HELP KEEP THE DUS HOLIDAY LIGHTS ON!

Currently, the holiday lights at Denver Union Station are set to turn off in mid-December.  Help us raise funds to keep the lights on through the end of the holiday season!

Our "final" tour of DUS before the remodeling will take place this Saturday, December 1 from 10AM-NOON.  All proceeds will go toward keeping the lights on!  Join us and share the holiday spirit this season by keeping the lights on!

Where: Inside the Great Train Hall (17th and Wynkoop)
When: Saturday Dec 1, 10AM-NOON

We look forward to seeing you!

RTD Announces Lunch Time Grand Opening Celebration for Denver Union Station Light Rail Plaza

Lunch Time Grand Opening Celebration Set for Denver Union Station Light Rail Plaza

Denver, May 15, 2012 —The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) and Regional Transportation District (RTD) will hold a lunch time Grand Opening Celebration for the Light Rail Plaza at Denver Union Station on Friday, May 18, 2012, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Live entertainment starts on the Plaza at 11:30 p.m. with a short program to be held at 12:30 p.m. 

The public is encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch to eat while enjoying the festivities on the plaza starting with a concert by Electric Hammer at 11:30 a.m.; followed by a live Zumba demonstration at 12:15 p.m.; then the Grand Opening program at 12:30 p.m.; concluding with a performance by Roz Brown at 12:40 p.m.  In addition, Colorado’s own COCONUT the Clown will stroll around the Plaza throughout the event.

Electric Hammer is a local Colorado band steeped in the sounds of Rhythm & Blues and Classic Rock music.  Its founding members have been playing together for over two decades and pride themselves on playing the music people know and appreciate.

For over 30 years, Coconut the Clown has brought smiles and doses of hilarity to children of all ages, using his special clown magic and a wonderful array of large colorful puppets. 

Zumba Fitness is an easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired fitness program which has been moving people towards joy and health since 2001.  More than 12 million people in more than 125 countries take weekly Zumba classes.

Roz Brown, a premier autoharpist, singer and Colorado folk legend is a captivating entertainer and recording artist who will regale the crowd with railroad songs and cowboy tunes. Many people know him from his regular performances at the Buckhorn Exchange restaurant in Denver.

Denver Union Station will serve as a multimodal transportation hub, integrating light rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail (Amtrak), as well as regional, express, and local bus service, the 16th Street Mall shuttle, Downtown Circulator, and intercity buses, taxis, shuttles, vans, limousines, bicycles and pedestrians.  Representatives will be on hand to answer questions about the unique design of the project.

Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad Club Announces Grande Finale

To read more, please read the press release below:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B14OGQyGiITvTEppblhfVE9TMG0wdzdOeHhpN3RFUQ

Winter Newsletter

Our winter newsletter is now available! Please click the link below to find out what's new at Union Station and for a recap of 2011.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B14OGQyGiITvcFEzRDdlSldST2VpN2pNVEk1akxHUQ

Union Station Alliance Revitalization Presentation

Join us as Union Station Alliance presents their upcoming plans for the revitalization of the Denver Union Station historic train station.

Thursday March 15
5-630PM
DUS Train Hall

Ligh snacks and wine will be provided.

Film Premiere of Centennial Statehouse: Colorado's Greatest Treasure.THIS FRIDAY!!

DON'T FORGET TO ATTEND THIS PREMIERE ON FRIDAY NIGHT!!! Centennial Statehouse: Colorado’s Greatest Treasure, a new film by Havey Productions, will premiere at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 at the Colorado Convention Center during the 2012 Saving Places Conference. “Our State Capitol is an iconic symbol reflecting the past, present and future of all Coloradans,” Director Jim Havey said. “This film takes you behind the scenes and tells the stories of the people who built the building and the building that built the State. It is a story that inspires a deep appreciation for Colorado’s history, from the turbulent territorial era and the protracted process of constructing a Capitol building, to the Capitol’s distinctive adornments utilizing glass, marble, bronze, textile and pigment to form unique portraits of the people and events that influenced the state’s development.”

Havey Productions is producing the film with partial funding from the State Historical Fund of History Colorado. Production Sponsors include AT&T, Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, Colorado Humanities, Anglo Gold Ashanti North America, Inc., Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, Inc., Linda Boden, Historic Denver, Inc., Colorado Preservation, Inc. and Circuit Media. Event sponsors include Civic Center Conservancy, Hendricks Financial Services, Jeanne Robb & Denver City Council District 10, Denver News and KUSA Channel 9.
Tickets can be ordered now at www.haveypro.com. Cost is $18 in advance and $20 at the door and includes cash bar and free popcorn. Patron tickets to a pre-screening reception that includes hosted bar and Republic Tequila tasting with appetizers and a meet and greet with the film’s director and other local dignitaries cost $100. http://www.haveypro.com/

Union Station Redevelopment Public Meetings

Union Station Redevelopment Public Meetings!

To see the flyer, please click HERE

Public Realm Town Hall Meetings

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Seeking input from the community on the Public Policy that will be implemented for management of Union Station’s public realm, plaza, etc., public meetings will be coordinated by Union Station Advocates, Joe Vostrejs, and Dana Crawford. Meetings will be at 4:00-5:30PM in the Denver Union Station Great Hall.

Each meeting will be coordinated with Union Station Advocates and previously published recommendations of five comparable projects (presented in May 2009), sponsored by the Advocates and the Downtown Denver Partnership.



Destination Retail Public Input Meetings

Thursday, January 19, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012

Seeking input from the community on the retail components of the Union Station Redevelopment project, public focus groups will be conducted under the direction of Joe Vostrejs and Dana Crawford. Meetings will take place at 4:30PM in the Denver Union Station Great Hall.

Questionnaires, updated information news sheets, and websites will be provided. Please visit the Union Station Alliance website at www.unionstationalliance.com for additional information.

Union Station Surface Lots Close

As of Tuesday, January 3rd, the two surface parking lots flanking the front of Union Station are closed.

While this may have whipped some into a frenzy of parking hysteria (click here for pessimistic LoDo parking propaganda) there are plenty of alternatives.

While there is the parking meter, there are also 44,000 off-street parking spaces available in Downtown Denver, including these closest-to-Union-Station options:

§ 1615 18th Street (LoDo Garage)
§ 16th & Wazee (Mercantile Lot)
§ 1899 Wynkoop Street (Garage Parking)

Also, many restaurants and hotels offer valet service, and there are taxi stands located at each hotel.

For detailed parking information in LoDo, click here: Parking Options in Downtown Denver


Plus!

There are the eco-friendly options:


Taking the bus is an easy and convenient way to reach LoDo.
Click for detailed RTD bus info


Light rail is another speedy way roll into LoDo.
Click for detailed Light Rail info


B-Cycle will support those healthy New Year’s resolutions!
Find a B-Cycle station near you.

Winter Newsletter

Our winter newsletter is now available! CLICK HERE!

The content of our newsletter can be found below:

Happy Holidays from Union Station Advocates!

2011 is drawing to a close and the Denver Union Station project is moving full steam ahead! As of December 1st, the light rail platform and facilities are 97% completed, the underground bus box is 49% completed, the commuter rail facilities are 36% completed and the streets and plazas are 52% completed. According to the project team, many of the unknowns have now been resolved, and we are past most of the construction risk. Construction highlights this year have included finalization of the plans for the public spaces, closing the pedestrian tunnel under and behind the station, relocating the Amtrak station to its temporary facilities, extension of the 16th Street Mall, opening of the relocated light rail platform and 16th Street Mall shuttle terminus, opening of Chestnut Street, and the erection of Chestnut Street Pavilion. Next up is the pending decision on the DUS Historic Station Redeveloper. Union Station Advocates is proud to say we continue to advocate on behalf of the public and provide opportunities for citizen input. We are excited to finally start seeing the results of everyone’s hard work after all these years and continue to look forward to Spring of 2014 for the project’s completion. Below is more detail on some of this season’s exciting changes and progress. For up to date information as it occurs, please follow our blog at http://unionstationadvocates.blogspot.com


Historic Station Redevelopment Update

On November 4th, two pre-qualified development teams presented to the public their respective concepts for the redevelopment of the Denver Union Station Historic Station. A video of the public presentation can be viewed at: http://denver.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=68 and the hard copy presentations can be seen at: http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/dus_1. Union Station Advocates and the LoDo District, Inc. then co-hosted a neighborhood meeting on Nov. 9th to discuss the proposals. Subsequently, the Union Station Advocates board members, except for one who abstained and one who chose not to take a position, vocalized their support of the Union Station Alliance plan in a letter to RTD.

Union Station Advocates believes the hotel concept is superior for many of the same reasons that have been widely noted in various articles and editorials. We are pleased to report that on December 13th, the RTD Finance Committee passed a motion to recommend the hotel concept to the entire Board. The Board is expected to take a final vote on the team selection on Dec. 20th.

Denver Union Station Public Realm
A very positive outcome from the extremely competitive nature of the above process, is that RTD was pleasantly surprised by the enormous public outpouring of expressed interest in the historic station and its associated public realm! Because of this strong interest, staff expressed to the Board in their recommendation that it would be imperative to continue a public outreach as plans for the train hall and other first floor uses continue to evolve to be sure the final result satisfies the community. Less spoken of, but an integral part of the negotiations with the selected team, is the management and programming solution for Wynkoop Plaza. In 2009, DUS stakeholders, including Union Station Advocates, convened a "Public Space Symposium" with five high profile public space experts to study and recommend a management structure specifically for Wynkoop Plaza. That recommendation was the creation of an independent, community-based, non-profit entity, similar to the Civic Center Conservancy. This approach would allow for the management of the Plaza to be supported by citizen input and involvement and would expand fund raising and sponsorship opportunities for the Plaza’s benefit. Under this approach, the entity in charge would have only one mission—to ensure the Plaza’s success as a thriving public space. This is the approach we have promoted since the early days of our organization.

Union Station Alliance has publicly stated that they also support the recommendations from the Public Space Symposium, and has committed to working directly with the community to implement them. However, Union Station Neighborhood Company has only stated that they would manage Wynkoop Plaza, noting their experience at Belmar in Lakewood. We would like to take this opportunity to say that Union Station Advocates is opposed to the historic station’s redeveloper having control over Wynkoop Plaza as proposed by USNC. Wynkoop Plaza is to become a prominent public space, owned by a public entity (RTD) and, rightfully, managed by a community-based entity serving as a steward and advocate of the space on behalf of, and for the benefit of, the public. To allow Wynkoop Plaza to function as a de facto extension of the private developer’s domain, or to permit an arrangement that could tempt the private developer to manage the Plaza in a manner that prioritizes their own financial interests over the public’s interests, would be a grave mistake.

Based on what has transpired to date, we are encouraged to believe that Union Station Alliance will be the redevelopment team that RTD selects. If in fact they are, not only does their proposal best ensure the long-term financial viability and activation of the historic station, but we can also look forward to working together on a community-based management and programming solution for Wynkoop Plaza!


Kiewit Offers Construction Update

The Denver Union Station Project continues to make significant progress. To demonstrate the progress, Kiewit has offered an update that discusses the current construction work onsite, as well as what we can expect in the future: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B14OGQyGiITvNWFmNWM3MGEtZGI0ZS00YzE5LWI5ODktNWUxZGY5N2U5Mzc0

Below are some of the highlights:

• Construction of 16th Street between Wewatta and Wynkoop began in early December and will continue for several months. 16th Street Mall FreeMall Ride Service will continue during this timeframe


• Construction for the retaining wall adjacent to the Ice House/Rodizio Grill will begin late December and will last 4-6 weeks. The Ice House Garage will maintain access during that timeframe


• The parking lot and sidewalk in front of Denver Union Station will close starting in January 2012 for reconstruction. Access to the historic station building will be maintained during that timeframe.


• Construction of the north wing building will commence in Spring 2012.

DUS Construction Updates

A representative of the Kiewit construction team has provided us with an update of the construction at Denver Union Station and what we can expect to see over the next couple of years. To read the letter, please click HERE.

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR RTD!

It's come to our attention that a recommendation regarding the development of the historic station building could come as early as today. We encourage all of the Union Station supporters to leave their comments for RTD:

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/dus_1

For information from our Public Space Symposium (2009) which helps to clarify some of the proposed ideas, please see the excerpt from the letter below and the document at:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B14OGQyGiITvNTIzOTk4NWUtMTcxNy00YjYwLTk1MDMtNGNiNzcxMjUxNzNm



...We are forwarding the attached document that succinctly describes both the master plan’s vision for Wynkoop Plaza and the management structure that was recommended by the expert panel in the Public Space Symposium of 2009. You may recall that the Symposium was a fairly elaborate joint effort between the Downtown Denver Partnership, USNC and USA to identify the best strategy for management of Wynkoop Plaza. Again we would like to reiterate USA’s position that management should be in the hands of a non-profit entity whose sole purpose is the success of the Plaza. Integrating management with another broad mission (like management of the Historic Station Building) both weakens the focus required for success and disenfranchises other significant stakeholders. There is a strong local example of the model recommended… Civic Center Conservancy, which has proven that a broad stakeholder board with a singularly focused staff can improve activation of a signature public amenity, increase funding opportunities for that activation.. and as a result creates a more desirable and safer environment that draws people into it...



Thanks!

Neighborhood Meeting: Future Re-Use of Denver Union Station

All,

Last night the public was invited to hear two competing ideas for the re-use of the Historic Union Station. Each development group was asked to showcase their proposals for the interior redevelopment of Denver Union Station and make clear their vision for the future of this iconic building. The room was packed and the ideas shared were fascinating!!

Next Wednesday the 9^th, as a follow up to this meeting, the Union Station Advocates will be bringing together neighborhood stakeholder groups to discuss last night’s presentations and further identify key issues surrounding these proposals.

Join us at the Wynkoop Brewery’s Mercantile Room on Wednesday November 9^th from 5-7pm. Please RSVP by sending an email to info@unionstationadvocates.org

Hope to see you there!

RTD Releases Date, Time, Place for DUS Historic Station Presentations

RTD submitted the following press release which designates the date and time for the presentations of the Denver Union Station Historic Station redevelopment proposals!

Thursday November 3
6PM
Colorado Convention Center
Rooms 201 and 203
700 14th Street in Downtown Denver



NEWS RELEASE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:

October 19, 2011
Pauletta Tonilas
Public Information Manager

303-299-2469 (office)
303-250-4846 (cell)





Public Invited to Hear Two Competing Ideas for
Denver Union Station Historic Building
November 3 event to showcase proposals for the interior redevelopment of Denver union station

Denver, Oct. 19, 2011 – Two teams competing to redevelop the Regional Transportation District’s historic Denver Union Station building will present their proposals at a public event on Thursday, Nov. 3.

The two and a half-hour event will be held in the Colorado Convention Center, Rooms 201 and 203, 700 14th Street (at California) in downtown Denver and begin at 6 p.m. Each team will have 30 minutes to present the details of its proposal with a 30-minute question/answer session with the public following each presentation. The first presentation by Union Station Neighborhood Company starts at 6:15 p.m., and the second presentation by Union Station Alliance will begin at 7:25 p.m.

Denver Union Station will serve as the intermodal transportation hub for the Denver metro region, bringing together rail and bus service, Amtrak, shuttle service, taxis, bikes, and pedestrian uses. As owner of the building, the RTD Board of Directors will decide soon how the interior of the building will be redeveloped to accommodate its new role as both an activity center and a transit station. As part of this process, RTD initially released a Request for Qualifications followed by a Request for Proposals, receiving two developer concepts for consideration.

Beginning in 2010, RTD commissioned a Stakeholder Committee made up of representatives from downtown interests, historic preservationists, the City and County of Denver, the Denver Union Station Project Authority and others to identify potential uses for the rehabilitation and reuse of the DUS Historic Building. The Stakeholder Committee developed building reuse goals, considered alternative reuse scenarios, evaluated the ability of the reuse scenarios to meet community goals, and discussed the process for selecting a developer to complete the building restoration and reuse. The Denver Union Station project is part of RTD’s voter-approved FasTracks transit expansion program to expand rail and bus service throughout the Denver metro area. FasTracks will build 122 miles of commuter rail and light rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit service, add 21,000 new parking spaces, redevelop Denver Union Station and redirect bus service to better connect the eight-county District. The FasTracks investment initiative is projected to create thousands of construction-related jobs during the height of construction, and will pump billions of dollars into the regional economy over the next 20 years.

Historic Station Public Meeting

RTD is planning to hold a public meeting on November 3 to give the citizens an opportunity to learn about the proposals for the Denver Union Station Historic Station Building. We would encourage all of the USA supporters to come out! We will post more information as soon as we know it.

Green Infrastructure Ideas by Sustainable Cities Collective

Hi Advocates!

Here is a great article about sustainable infrastructure in cities!

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/kaidbenfield/30272/how-green-infrastructure-making-cities-more-sustainable-hospitable

SPECIAL DENVER UNION STATION TOUR

SPECIAL Denver Union Station tour this saturday! Chance to see the project from 200 ft above!! Saturday, 10AM, in front of the historic station, 17th and Wynkoop, a little more than an hour long, $10 donation recommended.

We would love to see you all there!

Denver Union Station Historic Building Reuse Options

As the due date for the two proposals for the redevelopment of the historic Denver Union Station building draws near (Oct 3, in fact), we wanted to remind our readers of the varied options for the redevelopment of the historic building.

Please remember that there will be a public meeting to discuss these options, so we highly recommend that our interested followers read-up on the options and come ready to make suggestions and commentary.

As a means of highlighting the two proposals, we are linking to the summaries given earlier this summer on DenverUrbanism.com.

For an introduction to the proposals, please click HERE.

To read about the idea's from the Denver Union Station Redevelopment Team, please click HERE.

To read about the proposed ideas from Union Station Neighborhood Company, please click HERE.

Thanks everyone! Stay tuned for an announcement to follow regarding the date for the public meeting.

Summer Newsletter Part II

Read Part II of our Summer Newsletter!

CLICK HERE TO READ IT!