Denver’s Union Station’s Newest Facelift: An Honest Review
The other weekend I made over to Denver’s Union Station to check out the reveal of it’s recent facelift and light remodel. It has been reported that around $54 million dollars were spent on this project. I love this historic building and space and I thought it would interesting to share my thoughts on the reveal and what I noticed while I was there. I do want to share some context, I have patronized the building for as long as I can remember and during its current iteration as a cute and bougie transit hub, I’ve used basically since day one. In fact, this week I went there for dinner with a friend of mine who was in town for a book tour and was taking the train to the plane after dinner. Before working on and recording this episode, I made a point of walking through Union Station a couple of times so that I had a better since of what the design team was trying to do. Listen on and I’m curious to hear your impressions as well.
* In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*
Listen to the Episode
Welcome to Square State Colorado
A Website and podcast focused on sharing the city of Denver and the state of Colorado from a long-time local’s perspective. My goal is to uplift and share local initiatives, shout out and share locally owned business and tell a different story of the Queen City of the West than you usually hear.
Cowtown Denver
How Denver’s Union Station is Used
For folks who live outside of the Denver metro, or perhaps don’t use public transit Denver’s Union Station is a long-time transit hub-specifically serving train traffic. In 2016 Market Street Station that was the downtown RTD bus terminal closed and they moved that terminal underneath and adjacent to Union Station which was a smart way to streamline transit access. In 2014 Union Station’s current renovation was completed and the way we used it changed in some wonderful ways. It became a spot where both locals and travelers alike ate, watched music, shopped and people watched. It’s one of my favorite places to enjoy and to bring friends from out of town-like my friend that I was hanging out with the other day.
There are restaurants in the area, coffee shops, housing, hotels and more. In fact, inside of Union Station is The Crawford Hotel-a fantastic place to stay while you’re visiting Denver or looking for a local staycation base. There are cocktail bars, markets and you can walk to the following spots (McGregor Square, Dairy Block, Basecamp Market, Coors Field and Larimer Square) within minutes from Union Station. So when the refresh was proposed that posed a significant change to how we would experience that space. In fact, it was wild walking into the building and seeing the main seating area enclosed by an giant white box. Just like everything else in Denver dealing with extensive construction projects-I’m looking at you 16th Street Mall, it was uncomfortable navigating the box and I really appreciated how Union Station’s importance as a community space in downtown Denver. So, when the project finished, I was super excited to see-what they did.
Issues at Union Station
And were likely things that the team were trying to address with a remodel or reconfiguration of the space.
- Safety-I feel extremely safe in this building. In fact, there is a very visible security presence in and around the building. During 2020-2022 that sense of of lack of security was definitely an issue.
- Public use tensions-This goes back to the safety issue. Denver like many cities is working through the challenge of the unhoused crisis. And having public spaces of rest where Union Station should fall into that is something that came up especially during COVID. Things got rough downtown and there was even a point when Union Station made the seating area secured. This pissed people off because Denverites use the space too and don’t have an Amtrak ticket. So after the outcry, they backed off from securing the center seating area in the way that they were testing out. Currently, I don’t see as many unhoused citizens in the area as before. There has been a significant drop in a visible presence of unhoused persons. Which means that someone they have been shifted to be somewhere else. I do want you to remember this point as I talk about my first impressions.
First Impressions
The building looks fantastic. There’s general wear and tear that has to be maintained and the overall feeling that I got while walking in the building was that they addressed some of those normal issues. I’m thinking that there were some additions or changes to the lighting because the lighting is really nice.
- The furniture-There’s a lot going on with the furniture. There are fewer couches and a lot of cozy seats now. Which I feel will accommodate more people who would like to sit without being too close to strangers. I didn’t love the furniture but I will share why once I finish sharing my first impressions.
- They removed the shuffleboard table and expanded seating in that area and added wooded flooring on that elevated space.
- There’s a new restaurant selling tortas which I’m very excited about.
- The Crawford Hotel’s check in lobby was shifted to what used to be a retail space. They did a great job of making a welcoming space for guests that is away from the hustle and bustle of the building.
- The historic wooden benches were taken out and smaller ones were brought in. I’m thinking that the goal was open up that space and make it easier to see who is where.
- The center has what could be considered “gates” where people who are using the space can request to be seated in the center lobby.
The Furniture
It pains me to say this but, I don’t love the concept around the furniture. It feels like having a non-concept was the goal with the furniture, it’s not cohesive. The biggest misstep for me is that they didn’t lean into a Western vibe. I want it to be clear that you’re in Denver, in the Rocky Mountain West and the blandness of the furniture is disappointing. There’s no leather, no Americana pieces, nothing that would be on a ranch, nothing historical. No artistic cow skulls…it just feels like there was a team primarily made up of people from Los Angeles and Indianapolis who aren’t familiar with the city of Denver, its “vibes” and thought let’s not make waves.
My Experience in Other Union Stations
Stations across the United States are a clear part of many cities’ infrastructure. I love visiting these spaces and enjoying what they have to offer. One of my favorites is Chicago’s with it’s expansive spaces. My least favorite experience was at Los Angeles’ Union Station a stunningly beautiful building with a horrible experience for travelers and locals alike. Fortunately, Denver’s Union Station stands out in the best of ways for locals and visitors alike.
What Truly Mattered
Despite my critiques around the look of the furniture what I was really looking at was-What were the vibes? Now that Denver’s Union Station has opened back up completely-would people visit? The vibes were immaculate and have been every single time I’ve spent time in the space. It feels lively, fun and a place where you want to be. I love that for travelers they get to experience such a great space. And I love that for locals they can stop and eat there before a Rockies game or going to see a Broadway show at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. They’ve done a great job with cultivating a warm and inviting space and I encourage everyone to check it out.
I do want to mention that I truly loved the space before the first major remodel in 2014. I have a deep admiration for historic buildings and historic building preservation. I’m aware of the fact that when historic buildings are reinterpreted for the times that we’re in…that reimagined space doesn’t always leave people happy. And Denver’s Union Station is no different. For some people it’s now a gentrified, bland experience for others it’s a hub of humanity.
Ignore the furniture.