on Dec 15, 2011
Development Opportunity at The Union Depot
On Friday, December 2nd, the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority (RCRRA) issued three solicitations seeking private partners to activate the newly restored Union Depot in Saint Paul, MN. These include:
- Request for Qualifications for the activation and development of the site through retail, cultural, and event programming;
- Request for Proposals for day-to-day property management services, including building operations and maintenance; and
- Request for Proposals for operations of a state-of-the-art Bicycle Center.
HR&A is pleased to have supported RCRRA in defining a vision for restoration of St. Paul’s historic Union Depot into the Midwest’s premier multimodal transit hub. According to HR&A President Eric Rothman, “Union Depot will be one of the nation’s great transit hubs and an exceptional opportunity for transit-oriented development.” Situated in historic Lowertown, the activation of Union Depot will promote the neighborhood’s character of fresh food, fresh art and fresh culture.
Union Depot is expected to serve nearly 1 million transit riders by 2014 and 4 million riders per year in the decades to come. It will be the Twin Cities’ hub for Amtrak trains from Chicago and Seattle; local and intercity buses; and the Central Corridor Light Rail to downtown Minneapolis; and a potential station or terminus for several other transitways planned in the region. All three solicitation documents, as well as news and updates related to the Union Depot, are available on RCRRA’s blog.