PROJECT SUMMARY
Situation

• Following years of vacancy and deterioration, this historic landmark building was under consideration for demolition. At the time, Union Station was costing approximately $5 million per year to be maintained in a partially closed condition.
• Congress voted to restore the project as the primary tourist and transportation center for the Capitol Hill area.
• In partnership with Williams Jackson Ewing, Inc. and Benjamin Thompson Associates, our firm was awarded development rights to restore Union Station to its original grandeur and utility while positioning it for the 21st century.

Initiatives

• Jones Lang LaSalle arranged equity financing, the interim and permanent debt financing, coordinated construction management, directed office space leasing and presently is the on-going leasing and management agent for the entire project.
• To achieve this successful renovation, which incorporated the needs of the transportation function while making it a commercial destination, careful coordination of code compliance, historic preservation and retail principles was required.
• A total of twelve state and federal agencies had varying levels of jurisdiction for this project, and some had mutually exclusive charters. We were able to negotiate compromises based upon the spirit of the agency requirements and the desire of all entities to find a solution that would ensure the long-term success of the Station.
• In order to proceed with design, we negotiated a Memorandum of Agreement between the approval agencies that approved concepts which would allow the design to proceed with an expectation of approval. Regular review of designs to ensure final approval was conducted and disputes negotiated as the process went forward.
• Work included the addition of a 1,500-space garage and 80-bus transit structure. Inside, more than 120 stores, restaurants, cafes and a nine-screen cinema were constructed, providing more than 210,000 s.f. of retail space. The office section houses Amtrak's 100,000 s.f. headquarters.
• Williams Jackson Ewing performed the retail lease-up effort and remains involved in the specialty retail leasing activity.

Results

• The final product, delivered on time and on budget, is a testimony to the negotiation skill of our team. The $170 million redevelopment program took almost five years from inception to completion.
• With the restoration of its architecture, the reintroduction of train and metro service and its wide variety of retail, dining and entertainment offerings, Union Station now attracts people in large numbers and has been re-established as a vital urban center.
• Jones Lang LaSalle is the on-going leasing and management agent.