Baltimore Penn Station Investment and Development Program

NEC.AMTRAK.COM BALTIMORE PENN STATION INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Baltimore Penn Station is a major multimodal transportation hub serving the greater Baltimore region and is a vital link along the busy Northeast Corridor. With its classic Beaux-Arts architecture, the historic station was built in 1911 and anchors the Charles North District in Baltimore City. Penn Station serves Amtrak’s high speed Acela Express, Northeast Regional and long-distance train services. In addition, the commuter operations of MARC’s Penn Line, the city’s light rail, regional bus service, and university shuttles can all be accessed via the station.

Photography: Mark Dennis

Fiscal Year 2015 was a banner year Baltimore Penn Station is a treasured historic asset, a vital multimodal hub, and a community gathering place. Located in Central Baltimore, Penn Station is set for Amtrak as it welcomed more 1.5 miles from both Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to the south and from Johns Hop- than 30.8 million passengers repre- kins University to the north. The station is adjacent to two anchor institutions senting the 5th straight year in which - the University of Baltimore and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). A measurable increase in millennials and a robust student and artist population ridership exceeded 30 million. Balti- has upheld a successful cultural district around the station, which has spurred more Penn Station is the 8th busiest neighborhood growth. While Penn Station has served the region well for more than a century, the aging station is struggling to meet the modern needs of a station in Amtrak’s national system transportation network in high demand. Amtrak is executing a thoughtful in- with nearly one million passengers. vestment and development strategy that can both provide critical near-term improvements to the passenger experience, while also planning for the station’s dynamic future. BALTIMORE PENN STATION INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM NEC.AMTRAK.COM

BALTIMORE PENN STATION MASTER DEVELOPMENT: REALIZING A VIBRANT MIXED-USE TRANSPORTATION HUB

Cities across the nation are seeing an - urbanre urban district with a vibrant transportation hub sit- newal with both the millennial and baby boomer uated at its core. The results will be enhanced con- generations flocking to cities to work, live and play. nectivity, improved customer experience for all sta- This population influx is demanding more- walk tion users, and stimulated ridership and revenue. able communities with vibrant arts and cultural resources, and most importantly, access to multi- A Master Developer will be selected for all as- modal transportation hubs. With seven of the top pects of project delivery that may include plan- 10 busiest stations located along the Northeast ning, design, construction, financing, and select Corridor, this increased demand is straining aging operations/maintenance, with a scope to include infrastructure already at or nearing capacity. To the potential development of the station’s upper address both these opportunities and challenges, floors and other Amtrak real estate assets. Amtrak Amtrak has initiated a portfolio-wide, corporate is moving forward with a two-step solicitation, in- program focused on innovative asset monetization cluding a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) due out strategies and infrastructure reinvestment at its by fall 2016, followed by a Request for Proposals major stations including Baltimore, Chicago, New (RFP) that will be issued to a short-list of qualified York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Master Developer teams. Amtrak is advancing planning for the redevelop- ment of Baltimore Penn Station with a solicitation Amtrak continues to work closely with the City of for a Master Developer partnership. The goal of Baltimore, State of Maryland, anchor institutions, the Master Developer partnership is to attract a and all station and community stakeholders to en- visionary team made up of world-class architects, sure a collaborative and innovative vision is real- engineers and developers to maximize the value of ized at Baltimore Penn Station. Station improve- Amtrak’s portfolio of real estate assets at Baltimore ment efforts, including critical state of good repair Penn Station. When realized, the Master Develop- projects, continue to advance simultaneously as ment should be a bold, fully integrated mixed-use described on the following page.

A Synergistic Investment and Development Program

With both challenges and opportunities to address at Baltimore Penn Station, Amtrak is executing a synergistic investment and development program to smartly achieve near-term improvements to the station, while pursuing a comprehensive Master Development solution to realize a vibrant, transit- oriented future in Central Baltimore. NEC.AMTRAK.COM

ADVANCING NEAR-TERM IMPROVEMENTS Rail Infrastructure Improvements Northeast Corridor ridership is projected to double by 2040, requiring rail and infrastructure improvements at Baltimore Penn Station and other stations to support this growing demand. To address this growth, Amtrak is advancing planning and design for additional track infrastructure to support a new fleet of Acela Express trains that will run with a second hourly frequency beginning in 2020. Baltimore Penn Station is a vital station whereAcela Express trains will need to bypass regional trains there- fore, a new high-level platform, canopy, stairwell, and track realignments are being studied.

State Of Good Repair Built in 1911, Baltimore Penn station has served the region well for over a century, but its physical condition is in need of rehabilitation. In 2014, the Maryland Depart- ment of Transportation and the City of Baltimore funded a State of Good Repair study to comprehensively evaluate the station’s current condition and provide a tiered set of prioritized phased improvements to the station. In the fall of 2015, Amtrak began design for a package of high pri- Photography: Rufus Antonio Perrin ority tasks including the replacement of the station roofs and drainage systems, renovations to the cellar to address A Cultural Gathering Place floodplain issues, and structural shoring of the façade. These improvements will reach 100% design by the fall Station North Arts & Entertainment, Inc. (SNAE), in coordination withthe of 2016. Amtrak has requested capital funding to begin Parking Authority of Baltimore City and Amtrak continues to lead a program of vibrant arts and cultural events on the Penn Station Plaza. SNAE supports construction in 2017 and is working to identify the next the goal to make the plaza more pedestrian friendly and to attract commuters package of State of Good Repair projects to advance into to the unique businesses and arts activity happening in Station North. SNAE design. employs an arts-based revitalization and placemaking strategy by managing quality public art projects, providing thought-provoking programming, and Station and Vicinity Partnership Projects forging strong supportive relationships with local artists, designers, residents, Over the past several years, Baltimore Penn Station has businesses, and institutions to guide development in the District. seen ongoing improvement as a result of significant investment by Amtrak, Maryland Transit Administration, the SNAE has overseen large projects such as The Urban Playground Team which City of Baltimore, and neighborhood partners. Key com- combined elements of functional architecture and design with performance- pleted projects include a new generator that will ensure parkour, street dance, and street based arts and sporting disciplines to pres- critical utility redundancy for passenger operations, new ent Play the Plaza; Dark City in 2016, where The Dark Lab, curated by Ada static signage for improved wayfinding, new ADA-compli- Pinkston and Hoesy Corona, created a bilateral contemporary art exhibition ant passenger information displays (PIDS), the installation that hosted Light Research Kiosk, a series of pop-up performances that col- of an interactive welcome sign, and the launch of the sta- lected responses to the question “What gives you Light?” which was then tion’s outdoor plaza with landscaping, bike racks and com- interpreted as Dark City, a temporary installation. In the summer of 2017, munity events. Ongoing coordination continues in 2016 SNAE will produce a mini golf course, activating four different spaces, in- to improve station and rail facilities, optimize passenger cluding Penn Station, to inspire pedestrians to circulate and experience the experience and transform the station into a community exciting and increasingly walkable neighborhood. resource for public engagement. Over the past six years, Amtrak and partners have invested over $20 million in station and vicinity projects. Amtrak is committed to ongoing, near-term investments while assembling a visionary team to take the station forward.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

TANYA SHERES Senior Officer, Outreach & Communications Amtrak Infrastructure & Investment Development 202.906.2172 | [email protected]