https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/05/15/8-things-to-know-about-union-stations-proposed-redesign/

Expect easier pedestrian access, lots more retail space, and a large light-filled train hall.



1. It could take two decades to complete.
Don’t expect to see the station’s plans come into fruition anytime soon. The design phase will likely take several years on top of an additional 13 years for construction, according to FRA estimates. Plus, the federal environmental review of the project is three years behind schedule, according to The Post.

2. It’d be less car-centric.
Noticeably absent from the most recent proposal is a six-story, 1,600-space parking garage that was included in an earlier 2020 draft of the project. The parking garage drew sharp criticism from several public agencies, including the DC City Council, which felt it provided an excess of parking spaces and ran counter to the council’s efforts to reduce the city’s reliance on cars.



3. There’d be more civic and urban space around the station.
Though more expensive, the revised underground parking garage is more accommodating to a separate $3 billion project that plans to build a mixed-use development behind the station and above the rail yards. The project, known as Burnham Place, is managed by the real estate developer Akridge, which owns the air rights above this part of the rail yard. The private firm released its vision for a vibrant, mixed-use space in a separate plan last summer and has been coordinating with the FRA to create more public and civic space opportunities around the area as well.



4. There’d be smoother access for pedestrians and cyclists.
The revised plan includes two new ramps, one on the eastern side and another on the western side, that would improve pedestrian and cyclist access to the station. Also included: parking and storage for approximately 900 bikes beneath the ramps and roughly 100 additional bike share spots.