USA June 2009 News Update

The following News Update provides a synopsis of the last two Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) meetings and an up-to-date Organization Chart for the project. It also announces an important upcoming Project Update event in July.

Meeting Reports

Synopsis of the May 21st and June 11th DUSPA meetings:

Main items covered included:

The City of Denver and RTD has provided some startup funds to DUSPA so it can begin conducting business. Operating money will pay for fees on DOT loan applications, attorney fees, payment to the Owner Representative (Bill Mosher), fees owed the developer (USNC), etc. Also, a tentative operating budget is in development.

Contracts with Kiewit ($40 million authorization to proceed) and Alex Brown (Project Financial Advisor) were approved. Next meeting (June 25th) the Trammel Crow Owner Representative contract will be on the agenda for approval. Also, at this meeting the USNC contract will go to the board.

The federal loan applications are in process. The RRIF loan application has been submitted and a financial consultant has been hired by DOT to structure the loan. This 90-day process is underway. The plan is to submit the TIFIA loan application in mid-September with the expectation of approval in early 2010.

The design process is proceeding and will include both a 5-Person Peer Review Process and a public process on the transit/public realm design. See http://www.denverunionstation.org/pdfs/related_activities/PeerDesignReviewWorkPlan_FINAL061109.pdf for more details. It is unknown if the station building is part of that process.

Although not part of the recent meetings, the consensus regarding the CoRail lawsuit against the FTA is that the suit is without merit. RTD is in process of assembling a record of information for the courts review.

* * *

DUSPA overview: The Denver City Council created the Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) with a Board of Directors that has membership incorporating representatives of all the partner agencies. DUSPA will be the primary financing entity for the DUS project and will be the contracting entity for the construction contracts. It is likely also to be a key component of any governance structure that is developed for the project. The DUSPA Board meets twice monthly (2nd and 4th Thursdays) at Hogan & Hartson, 1200 17th Street, Suite 1500. See the Events Calendar for upcoming meetings on the DUSPA website: http://www.denverunionstation.org/related_activities/duspa.aspx


Organization Chart

Denver Union Station Redevelopment Project Organization Chart as of June 24, 2009 (click to view in full size):




Important Upcoming Event

Join the Union Station Advocates for a special evening as Mayor Hickenlooper and City Councilwoman Judy Montero offer a complete update on the Union Station redevelopment and the latest on the project plans. The meeting is open to the public and will be held:

Thursday, July 23, 2009
5:30 PM
Oxford Hotel (17th & Wazee) in the Theatre Room

Hope to see you there!


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.

The next Roundtable will be held:

Monday, July 13, 2009, 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Kentwood City Properties Conference Room, 17th & Wynkoop (enter off 17th)

Roundtable meetings are held the second and fourth Mondays of each month, and are open only to USA members and their guests. 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. We hope we’ll see you at our next Roundtable meeting!


Union Station Libation(s)

Union Station Libation(s) is an informal monthly social gathering for Union Station fans. Here's how it works:

Show up sometime between 5:30 and 7:30 PM on the second Thursday of each month at the Wynkoop Brewery (upstairs) and socialize with fellow Union Station enthusiasts. No program, no speeches, no sign-up sheets... just hang out and chat about Union Station or whatever. You pay for your own drinks and/or food and you leave when you want. Simple as that. Union Station Libation(s) is a great way for you to meet new people, stay up on all the latest Union Station gossip, and start your weekend off right.

We hope you’ll join us for the next Libations on Thursday, July 9, 2009!

To download a PDF of this June 2009 USA News Update, click here.

Roundtable Monday - 10 Best Uses

Greetings!

We will hold our next roundtable this coming Monday. Our topic of discussion will be "The Ten Best Uses of DUS Public Space." This should be an enjoyable, engaging, and creative discussion of programming uses for the soon-to-be public spaces around the Union Station redevelopment project. Come with your ideas and an open mind.

Union Station Advocates Roundtable
Monday, June 22, 2009, 5:30-6:30 PM
Location: Kentwood City Properties Conference Room (17th & Wynkoop)

Levi Reeves
Roundtable Director

Reminder: roundtables are a benefit to all our members. If you are not a member, we would love to have you! It's simple: sign up through our website, or just come to the roundtable Monday and we will give you information on how to join.

Symposium Recommendations

To see the recent symposium recommendations (from May 13) regarding governance of the DUS public realm, click the link below:

Symposium Recommendations

Roundtable Monday - Symposium Findings

Greetings!

On May 13th, the Downtown Denver Partnership, in conjunction with the Union Station Neighborhood Company and Union Station Advocates, hosted a symposium on the governance of the Denver Union Station public spaces. Experts from New York, Santa Fe, Chicago, and Detroit spent a few days in Denver learning about the DUS project and developing a set of recommendations for the project as it goes forward.

This coming Monday, June 8, we will hold our next roundtable on this topic. We will discuss the symposium and the group's findings concerning DUS. Please join us!

Union Station Advocates Roundtable
Monday, June 8, 2009, 5:30-6:30 PM
Location: Kentwood City Properties Conference Room (17th & Wynkoop)

Levi Reeves
Roundtable Director

Reminder: roundtables are a benefit to all our members. If you are not a member, we would love to have you! It's simple: sign up through our website, or just come to the roundtable Monday and we will give you information on how to join.

No Roundtable Monday (May 25)

Greetings! We will not hold our regular roundtable this coming Monday due to Memorial Day. We wish you the best for this Holiday and we'll plan to hold the next roundtable on Monday, June 8. More details to follow in a couple weeks.

Levi Reeves
Roundtable Director

USA May 2009 News Update

Union Station activities picked up significantly over the past few weeks. Included in this News Update are reports on two DUSPA (Denver Union Station Project Authority) meetings, a meeting at USNC on the General Development Plan (GDP), and a Symposium on the Management/Operations of the public spaces at Union Station. Also included are notices of upcoming meetings and events.


Project Status

One possible major impact to the project schedule is a suit to halt development on the project being brought by ColoRail. According to the press release, ColoRail will announce the suit on Monday, May 18 at 10 A.M. at 17th and Wewatta Streets. The release states that their concerns include the lack of expansion capacity for planned future transportation services, including passenger rail on the I-70 and Front Range corridors; insufficient passenger convenience and connectivity; and proposed project design features that are excessively costly to construct. USA’s initial reaction is that these issues have been thoroughly vetted. We await the response of the stakeholders, project management team and developer, and we will keep you posted on developments.

Other interesting updates are that the project’s parking structure is being reconsidered (see last bullet below in the report on the GDP meeting), and ground-breaking for the start of the transportation construction is scheduled for June 2009.


Meeting Reports

April 29, 2009: General Development Plan (GDP) Meeting at USNC

After brief opening remarks by Ellen Ittelson of the City, Frank Cannon of USNC (Union Station Neighborhood Company) re-presented the GDP that had been presented at a recent Land Use/Urban Design BOG meeting. He explained that this public meeting fulfilled a requirement needed to proceed to a final approval of the GDP by the City.

Some of the interesting points that Frank made were:

· The wing buildings on the Wynkoop side of the station will be mixed use, retail on the ground level and offices above. They will be 80,000 to 100,000 square feet in size. Frank thought the design approval process would take up to a year, with construction of the first building commencing in 15 to 18 months.
· Excavation for the transportation components will commence in early June starting at the new Light Rail Terminal site out at the CML and proceeding toward the station.
· The buildings behind the station are grouped in two blocks. The A block buildings (South side) will reach heights of 90’, 140’ and 220’. The B block buildings (North side) will reach heights of 90’, 140’, and 200’ and will be mixed use (office, hotel, other).
· The below grade bus terminal is planned to accommodate regional buses, some local buses, the 18th Street Circulator, and some commercial buses.
· Public space design will start in the summer of ’09. The plaza in front of the station (called Union Station Plaza) will be outside of the Keiwit Design/Build contract.
· Recovery money directed to the project will include $17.8 M through DRCOG and $9.6 M through RTD.
· The planned parking structure is being reconsidered. The project team is looking for an alternate location for the planned 150 public parking spaces.

April 30, 2009: DUSPA Meeting

Significant Agenda Items included:
· Design Build Agreement Authorization
· Notice to Proceed
· RTD/DUSPA IGA (intergovernmental agreement)
· CCD/DUSPA IGA

DUSPA approved the Design Build contract with Kiewit for the transportation elements. The GMP contract is based on 30% construction drawings (unit quantities and prices) and has a value of $336,404,275. Kiewit will now control the designers to take construction drawings to 100%. Only scope changes will create a change order. All change orders will require the approval of City and RTD before DUSPA can approve and sign

DUSPA then approved a limited Notice to Proceed for Kiewit. The NTP is limited because the federal money has not yet been secured. RTD has advanced $40 million that will cover costs until July 31. The limited notice to proceed covers mainly excavation for $7.2 million. There will likely be a series of limited notices to proceed until all funding sources have been secured.

The Lot G parking deck is not in the design build contract. The decision was made to explore other options for the 150 public parking space requirement. An allowance of $4.5 million has been set aside in DUSPA’s master budget to cover the cost of providing these spaces. This number was derived from an assumption of $30,000 per space which would cover a below grade scenario.

May 15, 2009: DUSPA Meeting

As evident from the following list of outstanding critical issues for Denver Union Station, there is a great deal on DUSPA’s plate. Please excuse the acronyms. There was not an opportunity for the public to ask what they meant.

A. Administrative Issues
· Finance Plan: Finalize, submit, approval for TEFIA/RRIF loan by DOT
· IGA’s with DUSPA (* CDOT)
· PMP Document Approval
· Finalize mechanics of funding process
· Owner’s Rep/DSA between DUSPA & TCC
· USNC Development Services Agreement with DUSPA
· Change order for area around DUS
· Meeting to discuss management of Hargraves
· Right of Entry Agreement: RTD & Kiewit
· Sales Tax
· WBS
· DUSPA Operating Budget
· Budget for $3,000,000 loan
· Chart of Accounts
· Agreement between DUSPA and CPV district to bond against what has to be put in place (restoration fee)

B. Construction Issues
· Major encumbrance Permit to allow bus box to be built in the City ROW
· Determination or process for public comment on public realm issues
· Construction Easement with Sunshine Development
· Finalize Public Information Plan
· Temp location for AMTRAK/AMTRAK Meeting
· Utility Relocation Agreements
· Secure 18th Street Alignment
· License Agreement between USNC & Kiewit for staging/laydown area
· Finalize scope and design and desired timing for Market Street storm drainage upgrade
· Threat and Vulnerability Analysis upgrades
· Coordination of systems design with other corridors
· Coordination of CRT signals
· Finalize issue related to Block A, B, and G under build/overbuild
· PUC for Tail Track removal
· Survey of existing conditions for DUS
· 404 Permit/MS4 Permit
· NW corridor locomotive – Track 7

May 11 – 13, 2009: DUS Public Spaces Symposium

Union Station Advocates assisted the Downtown Denver Partnership and Union Station Neighborhood Company with a Public Spaces Symposium that brought to Denver five experts from high profile public spaces located throughout the United States. Jerome Barth from Bryant Park in New York, Bob Gregory from Campus Martius Park in Detroit, Chad Munitz from Fountain Square in Cincinnati, Terry Guen from Millennium Park in Chicago and Richard Czoski from Santa Fe Railyards in Santa Fe were all briefed on the project and then asked a myriad of questions about best practices. The symposium ended with a panel presentation at the Oxford Hotel where the experts laid out their recommendations on how our community should proceed with the programming, management and design of the public spaces at Denver Union Station.


Upcoming Project Meetings

Monday, May 18th, 2009 Union Station Forum
Wynkoop Brewing Company, Mercantile Room, Wynkoop & 18th Street
5:30 PM - Cash Bar
6:00 - 7:30 PM - Forum

Denver is incorporating more public transportation into its master plan. Our historic Union Station will be at the center of this plan. In 2008, Union Station Master Plan Supplement was adopted as a critical step of that process. City Council created the Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) to manage the redevelopment of Union Station. Come hear a project report by DUSPA and members of the project team.


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.

The next Roundtable will be held:

Monday, June 8, 2009, 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Kentwood City Properties Conference Room, 17th & Wynkoop (enter off 17th)

Roundtable meetings are held the second and fourth Mondays of each month, and are open only to USA members and their guests. 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. We hope we’ll see you at our next Roundtable meeting!


Union Station Libation(s)

Union Station Libation(s) is an informal monthly social gathering for Union Station fans. Here's how it works:

Show up sometime between 5:30 and 7:30 PM on the second Thursday of each month at the Wynkoop Brewery (upstairs) and socialize with fellow Union Station enthusiasts. No program, no speeches, no sign-up sheets... just hang out and chat about Union Station or whatever. You pay for your own drinks and/or food and you leave when you want. Simple as that! Union Station Libation(s) is a great way for you to meet new people, stay up on all the latest Union Station gossip, and start your weekend off right.

We hope you’ll join us for the next Libations on Thursday, June 11th.

For a downloadable PDF version of this News Update, please click here.

Roundtable Today

Greetings!

We will hold our next roundtable today at our regular time of 5:30pm. Our last roundtable was on Public Markets. Thanks to everyone who was able to attend!

Union Station Advocates Roundtable
Monday, May 11, 2009, 5:30-6:30 PM
Location: Kentwood City Properties Conference Room (17th & Wynkoop)

Levi Reeves
Roundtable Director