CHICAGO – Amtrak efforts to improve safety and the customer experience at historic Chicago Union Station recently garnered a handful of architecture and engineering awards. These honors recognize the company’s stewardship and enhancement of this national asset, which serves rail passengers and the general public.
The Amtrak-funded $22 million Great Hall Restoration has been recognized with six awards from leading architectural, engineering, construction and real estate organizations or publications:
- 2019 Interior Architecture Award – American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter
- 2019 Overall Transformation of the Year – GlobeSt Real Estate Forum magazine
- 2019 Silver Reconstruction Award – Building Design & Construction magazine
- 2019 Best Project, Government/Public Building – ENR Midwest magazine
- 2019 Best Renovation/Retrofit Project – Structural Engineers Association of Illinois
- 2019 Metamorphosis Award, Whole Building – Retrofit magazine
“We appreciate the awards to our team from our industry colleagues. But most rewarding to us is the constantly positive comments from those who use our station,” said David Handera, DSL, Amtrak vice president, Stations, Properties and Accessibility.
“Amtrak is encouraged to continue our work here at Chicago Union Station, not only by the success of this project, but by our deep held commitment to enhance the experience of our customers and the public as well,” said Joseph Hoerner, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Amtrak principal architect, Chicago Union Station.
The project team included CBRE as the owner’s representative, Goettsch Partners as the architect, Klein & Hoffman as the structural/façade engineer, and Berglund Construction as the contractor.
“We are proud to be a part of Amtrak’s ongoing stewardship of the station and upgrading services and amenities for Amtrak and Metra rail users,” said Leonard Koroski, FAIA, LEED AP, principal at Goettsch Partners. “The building is a landmark and national treasure, and it is immensely gratifying to revitalize it for the foreseeable future.”
Since the completion of the Great Hall project, a new ChicagoUnionStation.com now improves station wayfinding and provides ways to book events. The website also hosts a documentary video centering on this project while looking at the station’s past and highlighting its future.
Now under construction at the station is a new Clinton Street entrance to improve station accessibility with an elevator from street level, including both tiers of a food hall to be ready for tenant leasing and finishing next fall.
Annually, Chicago Union Station serves 37.6 million Amtrak and Metra rail passengers, with about 120,000 on a typical weekday.
Posted December 18, 2019
Amtrak established the Great American Stations Project in 2006 to educate communities on the benefits of redeveloping train stations, offer tools to community leaders to preserve their stations, and provide the appropriate Amtrak resources.
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