Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/319926
B M & T ••• March/April 2014 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 9 DENVER'S UNION STATION PROJECT SET TO OPEN JULY 12 Restored Station Will Offer Eight Restaurants, Shopping and 112-room Hotel T he most exciting project in downtown Denver in decades will open on July 12, 2014 with the restoration of the city's Union Station. The historic train terminal will be home to eight new restau- rants and dining spots, a branch of the famous Tattered Cover Bookstore, a local Little Man hand-churned ice cream shop, a cocktail lounge and beer garden, retail stores, and the independent 112-room Crawford Hotel. Local powerhouse chefs Jen Jasinski (winner of the 2013 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest) and Alex Seidel ( Food & Wine's Best New Chef of the Year 2010) will both have restaurants in the new complex. The station will also fulfill its original role as the "Grand Central Station" of Denver – the city's major ground transportation hub. AMTRAK and Light Rail will arrive at a new 8-track terminal behind the station, while express and local buses will use a 22-bay underground complex (with service starting on May 12, 2014). Coming in 2016 will be direct commuter rail service from Union Station to Denver International Airport. Free electric shuttle buses will leave from Union Station and travel up and down the 16 th Street Mall, stopping on every corner. A new free shuttle called Denver MetroRide will leave Union Station to travel up and down 18th and 19th streets, stopping every two to three blocks. The two shuttles will make it convenient, fast and free to get virtually anywhere in downtown Denver. The components of the project include: U N I O N S T A T I O N U N I O N S T A T I O N The old waiting room will be re-christened "The Great Hall." With its soaring arched windows and architectural details, this grand room will be open to the public 24-7. The old ticket windows are being turned into The Terminal Bar, which will feature more than 30 Colorado craft beers and will open onto to a huge outdoor patio overlooking a new park at the front of the station along Wynkoop Street. Looking down on the Great Hall from a terrace above, The Cooper Lounge will offer a glamorous old-Hollywood vibe with high-end cock- tails and an extensive wine list. In the wings of the Great Hall will be the new hotel and a mixture of restaurants and retail. T H E C R A W F O R D H O T E L T H E C R A W F O R D H O T E L This high-end, elegant independent 112-room hotel is being built as part of the redevelopment of Denver's Union Station and will be run by Sage Hospitality and affiliated with the existing 80-room Oxford Hotel, located across the street. The Crawford will have 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. R E S T A U R A N T S & R E T A I L R E S T A U R A N T S & R E T A I L On the wings around the Great Hall will be some of Denver's finest new restaurants and classic retailers. For more information go to VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER or by phone at (800) 2 Denver. Denver's Union Station Rendering Credit RTD •pg_3-11.qxp__BMT_pg3-58 5/20/14 5:39 PM Page 9