With the smell of fresh paint still in the air, workers scrambled to put the finishing touches on Denver鈥檚 restored Union Station before this weekend鈥檚 opening. That鈥檚 when the public will get its first look at the revived station and some of its shops and restaurants. A larger grand opening is planned for July 26th.
After a year and seven months of restoration and remodeling, Union Station opens its doors at noon on Saturday. Inside the Grand Hall, where people once waited for steam trains, several new restaurants, as well as a number of bars and even a coffee shop greet visitors.
Some well known local restaurants will open smaller branches of their eateries in the space, including , as well as The and a new seafood concept restaurant, , by Euclid Hall Chef Jennifer Jasinski.
Union Station officials hope the Grand Hall will become 鈥楧enver鈥檚 living room.鈥� There will be spacious seating areas and a raised stage with two large shuffleboard tables open for public use. Guests can also stop by the adjacent to the hall for numerous Colorado brews on tap.
The new 112 room also opens on Saturday inside the station. The $50 million project has turned old porter offices into art deco luxury hotel rooms, and even created an entirely new floor in the station鈥檚 former attic. While the public can access the Grand Hall, only those staying at the Crawford will be able to access that area of the station.
The renovated Union Station will connect to RTD鈥檚 which opened in May, and will also serve as the main terminal for Amtrak鈥檚 California Zephyr which stops twice daily in Denver.
The station鈥檚 will begin at 10 AM on Saturday, July 26th with street vendors, music, and tours of the new station.
The connecting Denver's Union Station to Denver International Airport is scheduled to be complete by 2016.
