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1 N e w s j iNsidc RascaIs R o im d 'U p «- Pq. 2 ThcATER Revìew - Pq. 2 iMMiqRATioN Le ctu re >. Pq. 2 Wilkics WoRld - Pq. 7 D e a r A n to ìn e tte > Pq. 7 MARqiE's MsNAqERÎE » Pq. 7 Montgomery College, Takoma Park, Maryland An Independent Student Newspaper Vol. 29 No. 4 OCT. 26, 1988 m v, ■ : ■ 1 • » . S ü iM W H f II Photos and story by Jim Speorl On September 29th, 1988 Union Station reopened after being closed for years, having spent part of the time quietly decaying and the other part undergoing a long and slow face-lift that finally restored it to its original elegance during the early era of trains. This was the era before airline pilots became the American hero in transportation, when servicemen said their fond farewells to sweethearts, when families ran to hug arriving loved ones in die presence of enormous steam-belching locomotives with that sweet scent of cinders in the air, when streetcars carried you to and from the front door of Union Station’s main hall. Yes, it was September 29th when all those bittersweet and cherished memories came back to many Washingtonians, as over 75,000 gathered for a gala celebration of the completion of a multi-million dollar refurbishing of the grand ole station we know as the majestic Union Station. With its old mahogany doors, brass locks, decorative light stands, elegant chandeliers, and beautifully detailed honor-guard statues, spectators ooh’d and ahh’d at the fin a l product, which cost over $170,000,000 to achieve. The remodeling of Union Station is a milestone for many railroad historical activists who see Union Station as an influence in obtaining funds from the government or Amtrak for restoring other landmark terminals that are currendy in the midst of ruins. Such stations are in sad shape from ridership and economic declines over the past decades, some of the same factors that affected Union Station. In its final years before closing, Union Station had*started a charp downhill coast, largely due to the fact that the pre-Amtrak railroads (the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., later Penn Central, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Trust Co., and the Washington Terminal Railroad Co., not to mention the Southern Railway Co.) suffered declining ridership over the years. These unhappy factors led Union Station into a state of decay. A “metaphor of decay” is how Amtrak spokesman Timothy Gardner described Union Station. And Amtrak, once it came into existence when all national railroads merged passenger operations into The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), had been embarrassed for years about the station’s poor condition. But now that’s all changed, with the finished product being an absolute work of art. It seems as though you’re back in time with such authenticity. And when you enter the spacious main hall for the first time, your mouth will drop open as you gaze in absolute awe at authentic gold-leaf design trim of the arched ceiling. Ruth Thompson, a spokeswoman for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said “they’ve been as faithful to the original as they possibly could be.” And seeing is believing. The redevelopment will make Union Station “ by far the most civilized transportation terminus in America,” said Amtrak Chairman W. Graham Claytor. In addition to a complete remodeling of the station, there is an extensive shopping. center with women’s fashion and specialty stores, a nine screen movie cinema, restaurants, cafes, an international newsstand, a bank, a show bar, and gift and craft shops. All of these stores and shops are divided into designated areas, with each area catering to a specific type of vender or service. Upon a first visit to this massive station and retail complex, one may get a little confused as to what is where. The entire place is a maze of unbelievable proportions. The floor-plan goes something like this: the main hall level is comprised of several fine restaurants and two large fountains, a cafe high atop a kiosk, the newsstand, the station marketplace with over 100 retail stores, Amtrak ticket agent and service windows, as well as the waiting rooms. On the mezzanine level is the lower main hall and additional retail space. And on the lower level, a visitor can enjoy a good meal at one of 25 food outlets and ample seating for 2 ,000, a bahk and shops, a nine-screen cinema. All this is linked to Metrorail by a new entrance. And for those who are driving, there is a new five-level parking garage for 1,400 cars and 80 buses. Although some skeptics question the potential for success of the mall portion of Union Station, Keith Kelly, the main government overseer of the project, says * ‘We have a Winner.” And why shouldn’t Tie, after all; with nine-screen cinema and over 100 stores of great variety, Union Station * will not only serve the daily commuters to and from the Capitol City, but will serve the community neighborhoods and their residents in their search of good shopping and entertainment. One good example of serving the community is the new model railroading store, which will rank as only the second train store in the district, after several others passed out of existence in earlier years. And what an appropriate location for a model train store but in a full-fledged train station. The location alone will actually encourage those who are not into trains to think about it. When questioned about the chances of Union Station’s retail mall being a suc- ■ cess, one shopkeeper observed, “It’s one of the most exciting buildings in the country. People don’t come here necessarily to : buy. But they’ll spend once they’re here.” But the long haul in restoring Union Station was not easy, and many questioned its becoming a reality. But, in spite of Congress’ halt to the project in 1976, the project did resume. And the firing of another contractor in 1987 caused only more grief and delays. But the final work of art cont’d on page 2 Thousands of balloons soar upward as Union Station is reopened : in a gala celebration.
Object Description
Title | The Takoma Excalibur News [October 26, 1988] |
Masthead | Excalibur News 1988-10-26 |
Date | 1988-10-26 |
Publisher | Montgomery College |
Description | The Takoma Excalibur News, volume 29 issue 4, an independent student newspaper of Montgomery College, Takoma Park Campus |
Location | Montgomery College, Takoma Park Campus |
Topics Included | Grand Reunion, Union Station |
Subject | Montgomery College, newspaper, Excalibur |
Type | Text |
Format | |
Digital Collection | Montgomery College Student Newspapers |
Contributing Institution | Montgomery College |
Usage Statement | This image is presented for research and educational purposes only, and may not be distributed or re-published without permission from Montgomery College. Citation Requirement: Identification of item, Title of Collection. Name of Depository [Montgomery College Libraries], Depository location [Rockville, Maryland]. Year. Format. |
Contact Information | Montgomery College Libraries: 240-567-7130 |
Filename | takoma_excalibur_news_19881026.pdf |
Technical Metadata | Images were scanned by Backstage Library Works in Bethlehem, PA. Archival images are 24-bit color tiffs that were scanned from original material at 300 dpi using a Phase One camera model IQ 180. Bound pdfs were created from tiffs using ABBYY Finereader 11. |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Transcript | 1 N e w s j iNsidc RascaIs R o im d 'U p «- Pq. 2 ThcATER Revìew - Pq. 2 iMMiqRATioN Le ctu re >. Pq. 2 Wilkics WoRld - Pq. 7 D e a r A n to ìn e tte > Pq. 7 MARqiE's MsNAqERÎE » Pq. 7 Montgomery College, Takoma Park, Maryland An Independent Student Newspaper Vol. 29 No. 4 OCT. 26, 1988 m v, ■ : ■ 1 • » . S ü iM W H f II Photos and story by Jim Speorl On September 29th, 1988 Union Station reopened after being closed for years, having spent part of the time quietly decaying and the other part undergoing a long and slow face-lift that finally restored it to its original elegance during the early era of trains. This was the era before airline pilots became the American hero in transportation, when servicemen said their fond farewells to sweethearts, when families ran to hug arriving loved ones in die presence of enormous steam-belching locomotives with that sweet scent of cinders in the air, when streetcars carried you to and from the front door of Union Station’s main hall. Yes, it was September 29th when all those bittersweet and cherished memories came back to many Washingtonians, as over 75,000 gathered for a gala celebration of the completion of a multi-million dollar refurbishing of the grand ole station we know as the majestic Union Station. With its old mahogany doors, brass locks, decorative light stands, elegant chandeliers, and beautifully detailed honor-guard statues, spectators ooh’d and ahh’d at the fin a l product, which cost over $170,000,000 to achieve. The remodeling of Union Station is a milestone for many railroad historical activists who see Union Station as an influence in obtaining funds from the government or Amtrak for restoring other landmark terminals that are currendy in the midst of ruins. Such stations are in sad shape from ridership and economic declines over the past decades, some of the same factors that affected Union Station. In its final years before closing, Union Station had*started a charp downhill coast, largely due to the fact that the pre-Amtrak railroads (the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., later Penn Central, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Trust Co., and the Washington Terminal Railroad Co., not to mention the Southern Railway Co.) suffered declining ridership over the years. These unhappy factors led Union Station into a state of decay. A “metaphor of decay” is how Amtrak spokesman Timothy Gardner described Union Station. And Amtrak, once it came into existence when all national railroads merged passenger operations into The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), had been embarrassed for years about the station’s poor condition. But now that’s all changed, with the finished product being an absolute work of art. It seems as though you’re back in time with such authenticity. And when you enter the spacious main hall for the first time, your mouth will drop open as you gaze in absolute awe at authentic gold-leaf design trim of the arched ceiling. Ruth Thompson, a spokeswoman for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said “they’ve been as faithful to the original as they possibly could be.” And seeing is believing. The redevelopment will make Union Station “ by far the most civilized transportation terminus in America,” said Amtrak Chairman W. Graham Claytor. In addition to a complete remodeling of the station, there is an extensive shopping. center with women’s fashion and specialty stores, a nine screen movie cinema, restaurants, cafes, an international newsstand, a bank, a show bar, and gift and craft shops. All of these stores and shops are divided into designated areas, with each area catering to a specific type of vender or service. Upon a first visit to this massive station and retail complex, one may get a little confused as to what is where. The entire place is a maze of unbelievable proportions. The floor-plan goes something like this: the main hall level is comprised of several fine restaurants and two large fountains, a cafe high atop a kiosk, the newsstand, the station marketplace with over 100 retail stores, Amtrak ticket agent and service windows, as well as the waiting rooms. On the mezzanine level is the lower main hall and additional retail space. And on the lower level, a visitor can enjoy a good meal at one of 25 food outlets and ample seating for 2 ,000, a bahk and shops, a nine-screen cinema. All this is linked to Metrorail by a new entrance. And for those who are driving, there is a new five-level parking garage for 1,400 cars and 80 buses. Although some skeptics question the potential for success of the mall portion of Union Station, Keith Kelly, the main government overseer of the project, says * ‘We have a Winner.” And why shouldn’t Tie, after all; with nine-screen cinema and over 100 stores of great variety, Union Station * will not only serve the daily commuters to and from the Capitol City, but will serve the community neighborhoods and their residents in their search of good shopping and entertainment. One good example of serving the community is the new model railroading store, which will rank as only the second train store in the district, after several others passed out of existence in earlier years. And what an appropriate location for a model train store but in a full-fledged train station. The location alone will actually encourage those who are not into trains to think about it. When questioned about the chances of Union Station’s retail mall being a suc- ■ cess, one shopkeeper observed, “It’s one of the most exciting buildings in the country. People don’t come here necessarily to : buy. But they’ll spend once they’re here.” But the long haul in restoring Union Station was not easy, and many questioned its becoming a reality. But, in spite of Congress’ halt to the project in 1976, the project did resume. And the firing of another contractor in 1987 caused only more grief and delays. But the final work of art cont’d on page 2 Thousands of balloons soar upward as Union Station is reopened : in a gala celebration. |