DENVER UNION STATION Master Plan September 2004 PART I Introduction 2 Introduction Dear Fellow Citizens and Interested Readers: Denver Union Station’s unique assets make it an ideal The Master Plan is one of several major initiatives location for this new type of multimodal transportation needed to advance the redevelopment. The Denver We proudly present the Denver Union Station facility. Denver Union Station will create an exciting Planning Board has reviewed the Master Plan as the fi rst Master Plan. This document was developed through transportation crossroads, improving connections step toward City Council adoption as a supplement to an unprecedented collaboration among four public among all transportation modes, respecting the character the City and County of Denver’s Comprehensive Plan. agencies – the City and County of Denver, the and historical signifi cance of this handsome station and Concurrent with the adoption of the Master Plan, City Colorado Department of Transportation, the Denver its adjacent neighborhoods, and providing a stimulating Council will be asked to rezone the 19.5-acre Denver Regional Council of Governments, and the Regional environment for public activity and economic vitality. Union Station site as a new Transit Mixed-Use (T-MU- Transportation District – along with many organizations 30) District and designate the building and a portion of and individuals in the community and the region. Their Focusing on transportation and connectivity, the Master the site as a historic landmark in the City and County of participation, strong support, and donation of countless Plan identifi es and evaluates potential transportation, Denver. hours of their time were essential to this project. development, and civic improvements, along with design character, fi nancing, ownership, and governance Since 1881, Denver Union Station has been a vital The vision statement for this Master Plan proposes to structures for redeveloping the Denver Union Station factor in the Denver region’s evolution. As a major transform the historic Denver Union Station (DUS) site. intercontinental rail link, the historic station helped site over time into “a multimodal transportation hub shape transportation in the region and the nation. The of international signifi cance, and a prominent and A cornerstone of the Denver Union Station planning building’s distinctive architecture provides a focal point distinctive gateway to Downtown Denver and the effort is preserving fl exibility for the site’s long- for the Lower Downtown Historic District and a visual region.” As the product of extensive study, planning, term operations and compatibility with the region’s landmark for many parts of the city. and community participation, the Master Plan outlines transportation system. In this context, the Master solutions that offer the region’s citizens many more Plan for Denver Union Station establishes a baseline of Redevelopment of the site will restore Denver Union transportation options, all in one place. Denver Union standards, design concepts, and site programming against Station to prominence as a force shaping our state’s Station will unite critical elements of the local, regional, which any future modifi cations must be evaluated. character, economy, and transportation systems. Much statewide, and national transportation systems, both more than a nostalgic reminder of rail’s golden era, public and private, existing and planned, with private this revitalized civic landmark will play a major role in development and inspiring civic features. shaping Colorado’s future. Clarence W. Marsella John W. Hickenlooper General Manager Mayor Regional Transportation District (RTD) City and County of Denver (Denver) Lorraine Anderson Thomas E. Norton Chairman, Board of Directors Executive Director Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Introduction Denver Union Station Master Plan Denver Union Station Master Plan Table of Contents Introduction 3 Table of Contents PAGE PAGE PAGE PART I PART II INTRODUCTION PROJECT CONTEXT ALTERNATIVES EVALUATED Letter From Agency Partners 2 Project Structure 30 Alternatives & Process 68 Executive Summary 4 Vision Goals and Principles 31 Public Participation 72 Overview 8 Area Context 32 Transportation Study 74 Neighborhood Context 34 Site History 36 VISION PLAN APPENDIX Description 12 Partners and Participants 80 STRUCTURING ELEMENTS USAC & TAC Members Denver Union Station Site 40 Historic Timelines 82 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES Multimodal Transportation Program 41 Planning History 86 Phasing 22 Development Potential 46 Station Track Simulations 92 Costs & Funding 24 Regulatory Structure - Zoning 50 CML Alternatives 96 Governance 26 Regulatory Structure - Landmark 54 Alternatives Evaluated 98 Next Steps 28 Designation Bibliography 99 Principles of Urban Form 56 Image Credits 100 Sustainability 66 Abbreviations 101 Introduction Denver Union Station Master Plan Denver Union Station Master Plan 4 Executive Summary Denver Union Station will be transformed into a hub for effi cient transportation connections and transfers within and between the Metro area, the Front Range, mountain communities, DIA, the Rocky Mountian region, and the nation. Denver Union Station once again will be an economic lifeline for the entire state. A Vision of a 24-Hour Transportation Hub The Denver Union Station Multimodal Transportation Center represents a new vision for the future of the station as a 24-hour hub of urban activity. This vision honors and builds upon the storied history of Denver Union Station, which was remodeled into its current confi guration in 1914. According to this vision, the station’s neon slogan, “Travel by Train,” once again rings true as Denver Union Station becomes the region’s connecting point for light rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail, as well as for local, regional, and intercity buses, and other public and private transportation modes. Wynkoop Plaza will be a lively public plaza fronting the restored historic building. Denver Union Station also becomes the core of a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, urban neighborhood and an Once a lifeline for a geographically isolated city, Denver Union Soon this will begin changing. Denver Union Station important linchpin of a healthy city, state, and regional Station was built in 1881 to handle 10,000 passengers daily. faces a major revival as a crossroads facility that will economy. In 1902, depot police began enforcing a “no kissing” rule on unify every major transportation mode for the benefi t platforms because “it slows down the trains!” World War II of metropolitan Denver, the Front Range, and the entire All told, the revitalized Denver Union Station passenger traffi c swelled almost to gridlock with 24,000 people a State of Colorado. The Denver Union Station Master accommodates many categories of transportation, day. With 80 trains daily, the station was always in motion with Plan outlines a plan for revitalizing the three-story-high including light rail, commuter rail, regional and intercity arriving and departing tourists, business travelers, troops, theatrical space so it will once again teem with people in motion— bus, taxis, shuttles, vans, limousines, bicycles, and companies, and immigrants. inspiring scenes as bustling as Denver International pedestrians, and offers more than 1 million square feet Airport (DIA) on a holiday weekend. of new offi ces, residences, and shops. Red caps, trained to “project” announcements of departures without the benefi t of a public address system, swarmed the great This Master Plan presents the vision for the rebirth This one-of-a-kind facility will become a new Train Room carting bags and delivering messages. Yellow cabs of the historic Denver Union Station as a regional and transportation and economic crossroads for the Denver crammed the station’s portals. For years, Christmas was celebrated statewide multimodal transportation center. The station’s region and the State of Colorado. with the display of a 25-foot tree, elaborate decorations, and redevelopment forges a critical transportation link for seasonal concerts. Not until the 1950s did passenger traffi c at the metropolitan region and the state. This link greatly Denver Union Station combines a great location with Stapleton Airport exceed that at Denver Union Station. enhances local, state, regional, and federal investments excellent access to transportation infrastructure. It in highways, HOV lanes, light rail, commuter rail, local is poised to become a regional transportation hub and regional buses, parking, bikeways, and pedestrian One of Denver’s grandest public spaces, the Train Room serving millions of people through modes such as the networks. Metropolitan Denver’s transportation of Denver Union Station is often quiet these days. From following: investments will be merged into one cohesive system Executive summary its heyday in the 1940s, traffi c at the station dropped to • RTD regional light rail connecting the region and beyond. two Amtrak trains daily. • RTD regional and local buses Denver Union Station Master Plan Denver Union Station Master Plan Executive Summary 5 • Commuter rail to north Denver metropolitan This site’s potential redevelopment could include: The Vision Plan communities and DIA • About 1 million square feet of offi ce space How can all these proposed transportation modes • Regional rail to Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, (Class A and Class B) merge into one facility? and Pueblo • About 300,000