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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) board recently approved a contract with Gruen Associates, in association with Grimshaw Architects of London, to create a master plan for the city’s historic Union Station and its surrounding 40 acres.

LACMTA officials anticipate receiving the master plan by summer 2014, they said in a prepared statement.

The plan will serve as a roadmap for the future of the station and surrounding land, which the agency purchased in April 2011. The master plan process will encompass passenger and circulation improvements, rail and joint development opportunities, high-speed rail station alternatives, better access for pedestrians and bicyclists, and clearer linkages among transit modes on site.

“Union Station is a beloved Los Angeles icon that has played a vital role in our city’s history,” said L.A. Mayor and LACMTA Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa. “Now it is time to get it ready for its future as the centerpiece of our burgeoning regional transit system.”

While there will be no detailed architectural design involved with the master plan, Grimshaw is expected to bring “architectural vision” to the process, LACMTA officials said. Gruen Associates will serve as the prime contractor.