Union Station

[baralheia]

Sort of. The original wide rail yard, with it's many platforms connected to Union Station by an underground tunnel, was obliterated for the I-40 relocation project. Formerly, Union Pacific's East-West rail line (linking El Reno to Shawnee) and BNSF's Northeast-Southwest rail line (linking Tulsa to Lawton, and going right by the airport) served the station. Today, only a single track Union Pacific East-West line remains, in a rail trench right between I-40 and Union Station. However, there's enough space there that new platforms and a rail siding could be constructed, including rebuilding the underground tunnel. All of this would be much smaller than what the station was originally capable of handling, however.

[Urban Pioneer]

In all honesty, Union Station's useful life for transportation purposes is not over. The station could eventually be returned to a rail transportation use for the Eastern Flyer, and/or if an E-W commuter rail line ever comes to fruition.

Yeah... I don't see this happening... at all. Technically its possible, but the ADA issues are a concern and Santa Fe Station pretty much resolves all needs for the next 60 years. Plus, the park will eventually be served by the streetcar system.

Union Station will likely never be used for passenger rail ever again. If such a possibility were promoted, it would come at significant expense and with legal and political constraints. Its a shame though that the facillity has been expunged of it's original purpose though. I totally have the nostalgic feelings too.

[ljbab728]

This was all hashed out here ad infinitum when the I40 relocation was being discussed. Nothing has changed.

[baralheia]

UP, just to clarify: I wasn't really saying that it would happen, merely that it could. If the political will and money were there, it could happen - mostly because there's no simple connection between the E-W Union Pacific line and the N-S BNSF line, and building a direct connection would be tricky, at best. Additionally, BNSF's N-S line through OKC is an extremely busy line, which I could very easily see causing growing pains at Santa Fe Station once the Eastern Flyer and commuter rail are all up and running together, along with the Heartland Flyer and existing freight traffic. IF Union Station were ever reactivated for passenger service, we wouldn't be the only city to utilize multiple train stations downtown. Chicago, for instance, has 4 stations downtown that all serve different regional commuter routes for Metra (as well as Amtrak service in at least one): Chicago Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center, LaSalle Street Station, and Millennium Station. I know Chicago is much larger than OKC, but it is merely one example to illustrate my point.

Anyway, you're probably right - the reality of the situation is that unless there is some radical shift in ideology or demographics, Union Station unfortunately won't see another passenger.

[Pete]

In the most recent MAPS board meeting, the park architects recommended the following configuration for Union Station.

Although not within the MAPS scope, it's clear the architects are working with the city to figure out how to best use the facility and we should have a more detailed plan. Not sure where the funding is going to come from but obviously the city has some ideas which I suspect include TIF.

[Pete]

[Doug Loudenback]

Amazing pic, Pete. Are you using a drone, or what?

[Pete]

Amazing pic, Pete. Are you using a drone, or what?

Yes, a drone. It's great fun.

[Celebrator]

The station will make for a great focal point across that sea of green. Can't wait to see the park done.

[Pete]

$10 in MAPS funds is being sought to renovate Union Station through the MAPS 3 Parks subcommittee.

For some odd reason, Union Station was completely left out of the park plans when everything was budgeted. There is an issue where the city recevied a federal grant for some renovations which somewhat restricts the use of the building for transit, which is a big reason COTPA is HQ'd there. So, that issue would have to be dealt with in some manner.

This is all part of a process where the MAPS 3 Board will evaluate various requests for allocation of MAPS 3 overage resulting from higher than expected sales tax collections.

Thus far the asks are:

Parks (Union Station) $10,000,000.00
Senior Health and Welness Centers $15,320,900.00
Transit / Modern Streetcar $7,698,820.00
State Fairgrounds $9,701,825.00
River $7,941,780.00

Trails and Sidewalks and Convention Center committees have yet to name a sum.

Also, a couple of weeks ago the River subcommittee was already awarded $759,000.


That puts the total at $51.4 million for an estimated $32MM in extra funds.

[shawnw]

Spokies HQ is now in Santa Fe Station, and I _thought_ my last conversation with an Embark person indicated they were all moving to Santa Fe. When I was last there, what was going to be an event room had office furniture in it.

[Pete]

Way back in 2013, Hargreaves (the contracted designer for the park) suggested the following for Union Station, although all work was completely outside the park budget at that time.

• Planning/funding for Union Station: For Union Station to achieve its potential as the iconic architectural heart of the Downtown Public Park, it must be revitalized with park-supportive programming. The City should engage in additional analysis to advance this project, including confirmation of redevelopment and programming viability, and identification of capital funds for acquisition (if necessary), construction, and operations. Renovations should be coordinated with Phase 2 park improvements.

[baralheia]

$10 in MAPS funds is being sought to renovate Union Station through the MAPS 3 Parks subcommittee.

For some odd reason, Union Station was completely left out of the park plans when everything was budgeted. There is an issue where the city recevied a federal grant for some renovations which somewhat restricts the use of the building for transit, which is a big reason COTPA is HQ'd there. So, that issue would have to be dealt with in some manner.

This is all part of a process where the MAPS 3 Board will evaluate various requests for allocation of MAPS 3 overage resulting from higher than expected sales tax collections.

Thus far the asks are:

Parks (Union Station) $10,000,000.00
Senior Health and Welness Centers $15,320,900.00
Transit / Modern Streetcar $7,698,820.00
State Fairgrounds $9,701,825.00
River $7,941,780.00

Trails and Sidewalks and Convention Center committees have yet to name a sum.

Also, a couple of weeks ago the River subcommittee was already awarded $759,000.


That puts the total at $51.4 million for an estimated $32MM in extra funds.

The NewsOK article talks about how the City is trying to figure out how to ease the use restrictions on the building, imposed by the Feds when the City bought the building using a mass transit grant. OKC really needs to be careful what they do here. I fully believe there will be a time in the not-too-distant future where Union Station will be pressed back into use for transportation needs... Either for an east-west commuter corridor or possibly inter-city passenger rail.

[Johnb911]

^^^

I saw that article in the Oklahoman. I was wondering if it would even be an option to repay the federal grant (I don't remember what it was, but for some reason $1.5M is in my head) and get out from under the obligation to use it for transportation related purposes?

[BoulderSooner]

The NewsOK article talks about how the City is trying to figure out how to ease the use restrictions on the building, imposed by the Feds when the City bought the building using a mass transit grant. OKC really needs to be careful what they do here. I fully believe there will be a time in the not-too-distant future where Union Station will be pressed back into use for transportation needs... Either for an east-west commuter corridor or possibly inter-city passenger rail.

That ship has sailed. Union station no longer has a transit use

[Ross MacLochness]

That ship has sailed. Union station no longer has a transit use

Why?

[baralheia]

That ship has sailed. Union station no longer has a transit use

Emphatically disagree. There is enough room in the rail trench along I-40 for at least one platform, by design, and a parking garage that could serve the station is still eventually expected to fill the remaining open space between the Streetcar Maintenance Facility and Union Station. Engineering, cost, and/or right-of-way challenges may prevent the eastern connection to Santa Fe Station for inter-city passenger rail (i.e. Karchmer Garage), and there is no viable way for trains from the west (on the UP corridor, anyway) to get to Santa Fe Station without considerable cost and disruption to the BNSF corridor. As central Oklahoma continues to grow, and after the north-south commuter line from Edmond to Norman gets going, there is a high likelihood that a commuter line from the western suburbs like Yukon to possibly as far east as Shawnee will eventually be necessary along the UP corridor, and Union Station will be the only viable economic choice for this service. While any such development may be 10-20 years out, it's important to make absolutely sure that accomodations are planned for well in advance so that it can happen when needed.

[BoulderSooner]

Why?

Because after multiple studies. The sant fe station was selected as our intermodal transit hub. We have spend millions on it already and the master hub plan. http://www.acogok.org/wp-content/upl.../hubreport.pdf Provides a buildout and use for the next 50+ years It provides conections to the east north and south. Plus an easy connection to the airport and possibley mustang.

The recent commuter corridor study identified brt/light rail as the favored mode of transit to the northwest. So that is not an issue


Union station has been looked at for transit and it has been decided that it is not the best choice.

Because of access and location.

There is a lot more info I can provide if you wish. But as I said union station is no longer a transit asset

[Ross MacLochness]

That ship has sailed. Union station no longer has a transit use

Also, I like your transit themed idiom!

[bombermwc]

Well it still has the potential to be a commuter stop at least. Once the park is done, it wouldn't be a terrible stop location. It won't be an awesome one either because of where it is, but i guess we'll see. I think the only hope this place has of surviving will be as an event hall.

[baralheia]

Well it still has the potential to be a commuter stop at least. Once the park is done, it wouldn't be a terrible stop location. It won't be an awesome one either because of where it is, but i guess we'll see. I think the only hope this place has of surviving will be as an event hall.

Right! I wasn't trying to say that Union Station needs to be Intermodal Transit SuperUltraMegaHub 2.0 or anything like that; it's potential to become anything like what is planned for Santa Fe Station was unfortunately cut short when ODOT routed the I-40 realignment through where all of the passenger platforms used to be. Instead, I'm simply saying that it does still have great potential to play a future role in a transit-related use, most likely as a commuter stop on an E-W commuter line following the UP corridor, or possibly as an inter-city rail stop if something happens to prevent the eastern connection through Bricktown to Santa Fe Station. While it may not play that role for a while, it's in the best interest of the City to ensure that Union Station (or at least parts of it) can be pressed back into a transit-related use if it is deemed necessary. And I'm also not saying that it shouldn't be used for anything else in the interim - if we've got a use for the building, great! Let's make it work! But we really should keep an eye to the future so that the building can also accommodate a passenger/commuter rail use if it ends up being needed for that role.

[Pete]

Item on city council agenda next Tuesday to contract with GSB, Inc. to study the possible renovation of Union Station.

The other two finalists not chosen were ADG and GH2.

Purpose: To provide a study with recommendations and cost estimates to program and renovate the Union Station, located at SW 7th and Hudson Avenue
near the south edge of the new MAPS 3 Scissortail Park.

Background: The Public Works Department submitted the names of three firms for this project to the Consultant Review Committee for consideration and
prepared a report of the Committee’s findings and a tabulation of thefirms that submitted letters of interest on the project.

Architect: GSB, Inc.

[Pete]

Conceptual plan for Union Station, using $10 million of excess MAPS 3 money that has already been allocated.

Architect is GSB.

[Pete]

As a side note, that first image was the cover of the presentation.

Which was lifted directly from OKCTalk (see upthread).

[hfry]

Pete any idea yet on how they plan to transfer it from Federal ownership?