Denver Historic Union Station (Golden, Williamsburg: sales, home, theater)

[headingtoDenver]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

This.^^^^

If most of the posters here had their way, they would vote to shut the mint down and turn it into a boutique hotel, with a bar and shuffleboard tables in the lobby. Or maybe they would just tear it down and build another generic glass skyscraper. Oh look at us, we have a new skyscraper. High-five.

People don't have any since of history. In every historic building they just see a new potential bar of restaurant. Like a hundreds of them isn't enough.

The mint serves a needed purpose. An ice house or a foundry would not serve the city of Denver or its residents. At least we are repurposing the buildings. The architecture is the same, but used for a different purpose than originally intended.

A city stuck in the 20s is a dead city.

[robertgoodman]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

Denver could preserve its past rather than just be a replica of a hundred other cities. There are people who look for more than shopping of the same sort they see everyhere else. Colonial Williamsburg does very well with the past and the uncommon. The little left of the past in downtown Denver would do just as well.

How many people have ever seen an ice house or even a foundry? The busiest tourist attraction in Denver is the US Mint, hardly a new enterprise.

So your suggestion is to turn parts of Denver into a living museum so instead of being like other cities we will be like other living museums? Hmm I guess if the bordellos returned to Market st and the alley between Market and Blake st became one giant opium den again it might be worth trying to act like I am from the late 1800's.

However, I sincerely doubt the city has (or had) the funding to turn a large chunk of Denver into a living museum. Fortunately our preservationists found that by adapting old buildings for new uses -without significant alterations- that the buildings could once again be economically viable. That thinking helped RTD prevent Denver Union Station from being bought by a developer for a solely private purpose in the early 2000's, and helped others save countless other buildings throughout Denver from the wrecking ball. That is money that would not have been available if we narrowly focused on exact preservation, and we would have lost a lot of historic buildings that way.

BTW not particularly proud of it but the busiest tourist attraction in Denver is the 16th St mall.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by robertgoodman

BTW not particularly proud of it but the busiest tourist attraction in Denver is the 16th St mall.

Followed by the Cherry Creek Mall. Most people apparently look for shopping on their vacations.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by headingtoDenver

The mint serves a needed purpose. An ice house or a foundry would not serve the city of Denver or its residents. At least we are repurposing the buildings. The architecture is the same, but used for a different purpose than originally intended.

A train station serves a needed purpose too. Yet many seem to think that a boutique hotel is more important, and that people should be drinking and playing shuffleboard in the Great Hall, rather then waiting for trains there.

First Denver tore down most of the beautiful old hotels in Downtown in the 1960s and 70s. Then the dumbass developers figured out that there is a demand by people who want to stay in old hotels like that. So they correct that mistake by stealing the old train station to turn it into a hotel.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

A train station serves a needed purpose too. Yet many seem to think that a boutique hotel is more important, and that people should be drinking and playing shuffleboard in the Great Hall, rather then waiting for trains there.

I'm sorry, I must've missed something. Are people waiting for trains prohibited from waiting at Union Station? Or having a drnk or meal or playing shuffleboard while they wait? I did not realize that the act of "waiting" precluded other activity.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by maciesmom

I'm sorry, I must've missed something. Are people waiting for trains prohibited from waiting at Union Station? Or having a drnk or meal or playing shuffleboard while they wait? I did not realize that the act of "waiting" precluded other activity.

The reports I have read say that there is an army of security guards there to keep them out of those areas.

[hammertime33]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

The reports I have read say that there is an army of security guards there to keep them out of those areas.

Whoever gave you that report is a liar. The whole of the station is available for Amtrak passengers to wait.

Originally Posted by Parkerlewis33

I also hope the cafeteria style seating at the Terminal Bar is replaced with something a little more permanent and solid. I haven't seen them in a straight line yet. I honestly would be disappointed to see them in my child's lunch room at school. I think some kind of high top wooden structure would be awesome.

I was at Union Station about an hour ago (I thought I'd pop in and see all the Amtrak passengers being forced to sit outside on the concrete in the rain waiting for the train), and those cheap looking long tables were gone. Instead, there were high-top round tables with nice table cloths on the. Not sure if they're permanent, but they looked very nice.


Other observations (I was there from about 6:40-7, and the Amtrak was scheduled to leave at 7:10):

I said in earlier posts there were 8 wooden benches. That's no longer the case. They have added an additional 6 single-sided wooden benches, so in effect there are 11 double-sided wooden benches in the hall (1 more than the 10 that use to be there pre-renovation).

There must have been some sort of event going on at the Terminal Bar; the front/outdoor patio was full - the bar was full - and the tiny sliver of the Great Hall used as an indoor patio for the bar was full, and many of the people there were wearing nametags.

The wooden benches by the Amtrak window were maybe half-full with people waiting for the Amtrak. Two of the passengers sitting on the benches were enjoying a glass of wine as they waited.

8 or 9 people with luggage were sitting on the couches waiting for the train. None of them were run off by KaaBoom's non-existent security henchmen.

So in conclusion, despite the bar being absolutely packed for an event, an Amtrak train leaving soon, and a heavy downpour of rain, there was plenty of unused/available seating in the Grand Hall.

[Parkerlewis33]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

The reports I have read say that there is an army of security guards there to keep them out of those areas.

Ha Ha! Now that's funny stuff... hardly the Gestapo you describe. There is (1) security guard and he might be the friendliest guy in the building. People can hardly pass by without him starting up a conversation. I've seen him explaining future plans of the building to groups of people on numerous occasions. He is quite proud of the old station and apparently his job too. Now there have been 3-4 transit police around at times, but I have only seen them in the back and walking the bus depot. Now they may move into the train hall when the "10 foot" snows come in a few months.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by Parkerlewis33

Ha Ha! Now that's funny stuff... hardly the Gestapo you describe. There is (1) security guard and he might be the friendliest guy in the building.

Doesn't look too friendly to me.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

Denver could preserve its past rather than just be a replica of a hundred other cities. There are people who look for more than shopping of the same sort they see everyhere else. Colonial Williamsburg does very well with the past and the uncommon. The little left of the past in downtown Denver would do just as well.

How many people have ever seen an ice house or even a foundry? The busiest tourist attraction in Denver is the US Mint, hardly a new enterprise.

Colonial Williamsburg is truly unique because it speaks to a very specific and unique point in our nation's time. We have unique mining towns and tourist dollars alone could not sustain them because there is only so much interst in seeing things like that.

It is also important to point out that the population of Williamsburg is 15,000. This is smaller than the population of Lower Downtown. Do you honestly think that you could sustain an entire downtown on touring an old foundry and icehouse? Misguided at best.

I've been to Cody. You certainly don't see a lot of things that you see everywhere else, but personally I don't think that's a good thing. The uniqueness is more in what it lacks than what it has. I will say it was very unique being asked "smoking or non smoking" in a restaurant.

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

This.^^^^

If most of the posters here had their way, they would vote to shut the mint down and turn it into a boutique hotel, with a bar and shuffleboard tables in the lobby. Or maybe they would just tear it down and build another generic glass skyscraper. Oh look at us, we have a new skyscraper. High-five.

People don't have any since of history. In every historic building they just see a new potential bar of restaurant. Like a hundreds of them isn't enough.

You couldn't make a worse mischaracterization of what I want.

I love seeing historic buildings revitalized and repurposed. Tearing down Union Station would have been a tragedy. I am so happy to see that someone had the foresight and resources to turn it in to something people will actually use and that is bringing more people and more money to downtown.

Your plan would have done nothing for downtown and nothing for anyone except a few train passengers who have a minimal economic impact on the city. I can't get a clear read on your position, or if I can it seems so ridiculous that I can't make sense of it. You don't like new sky scrapers, but old ones are ok? At what point did development become bad? You do realize that in many cases, before the building you seem to not want changed were there, other buildings were torn down to make room for them, right? Was development alright until 1930? How about 1960? 1990?

Your opinion is more tempered by your distaste for Denver and hatred of people you call "Yuppies" more than any grounding in what is best for a city.

I love that the two people who are complaining about this live in other states.