Reimagining Union Station
“According to urban legend, the opening of Verizon Center in 1997 was the catalyst for the revival of Washington’s old downtown. Ever since, a string of projects — National Harbor, Nationals Park, the Silver Line — have promised to “change the face” of the city or the region.
While such assessments involve more than a bit of hyperbole, one project that has received scant attention could well be the biggest game changer of all.
I’m talking about the proposed expansion and redevelopment of Union Station, which could do for Washington what Grand Central Terminal did for New York a century ago — create a new commercial epicenter for the city and provide the transportation anchor for a regional economy, stretching from Richmond to Baltimore.”