Amtrak honored for Chicago Union Station restoration project

Amtrak's $22 million project to restore the Great Hall at Chicago Union Station has reaped recognition in the form of six awards from architectural, engineering, construction and real estate organizations or publications.

The awards are the:
• 2019 Interior Architecture Award – American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter
• 2019 Overall Transformation of the Year – GlobeSt Real Estate Forum Magazine
• 2019 Silver Reconstruction Award – Building Design & Construction Magazine
• 2019 Best Project, Government/Public Building – ENR Midwest Magazine
•2019 Best Renovation/Retrofit Project – Structural Engineers Association of Illinois
•2019 Metamorphosis Award, Whole Building – Retrofit Magazine

"We appreciate the awards to our team from our industry colleagues. But most rewarding to us is the constantly positive comments from those who use our station,” said David Handera, Amtrak’s vice president of stations properties and accessibility, in a press release.

Now under construction at the station is a new Clinton Street entrance to improve station accessibility with an elevator from street level, including both tiers of a food hall to be ready for tenant leasing and finishing next fall, Amtrak officials said.

Chicago Union Station serves 37.6 million Amtrak and Metra passengers annually, and handles about 120,000 on a typical weekday.