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The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) has issued two requests for proposals and a request for qualifications that seek private partners interested in developing a bicycle center and retail development, and exploring property management opportunities at the newly restored multi-modal transportation hub at Union Depot in St. Paul.

Crews are completing the first two years of major construction and renovation of the depot, RCRRA officials said in a prepared statement. When the restoration is completed, the 290,000-square-foot building and its 33-acre site will be bustling with “activity that complements transit and embraces the depot’s location on the Mississippi River and in St. Paul’s distinctive Lowertown neighborhood,” they said.

“Public-private partnership will help us achieve our vision of making the Union Depot one of America’s great public buildings and transit hubs for the 21st Century,” said RCRRA Chairman Jim McDonough.

The facility’s day-to-day management will be handled by a selected firm. To accommodate bicycle enthusiasts, the depot will offer bicycle storage, showers and lockers for commuters.

In addition, the RCRRA plans to contract with a private partner to implement its development plan in mid-2012, in advance of the project’s opening in early 2013.

“Selected partners will leverage significant government investment in new transit services and the restoration of the monumental architecture to create a vibrant, active place,” RCRRA officials said.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder operations, currently located at a station in the Midway area of St. Paul, will relocate to Union Depot when renovation is completed at 2012’s end.