Rendering of the redesigned interior of New Haven Union Station.
|
|
(NEW HAVEN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker today announced the start of a project making major interior and exterior upgrades at New Haven Union Station that will significantly modernize the historic transportation hub and improve the overall experience for rail passengers.
Additionally, they announced that the State of Connecticut and City of New Haven are collaborating on a process to identify new vendors and businesses interested in operating retail and food service spaces within the station, which serves nearly four million passengers annually.
“New Haven Union Station is an important link in Connecticut’s transportation network, and we are focused on making it a world-class transit facility,” Governor Lamont said. “We are modernizing this historic station to create a more welcoming and comfortable experience for riders and encourage more people to choose rail.”
“Union Station is where thousands of people begin and end their trips every day, and it should be a place that people are proud to walk into,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “These improvements will create a more vibrant station for passengers while opening the door to new businesses that can make the experience even better.”
“Great cities should have great public transit facilities, and we are about to deliver for New Haveners,” Mayor Elicker said. “New Haven Union Station is being transformed into a transit hub and destination where residents and rail riders from across the state will be able to enjoy more welcoming and comfortable commutes, more modern amenities, more retail and dining options, and more of the Elm City. We’re a growing city and want to encourage even more rail ridership and transit-oriented development—and a critical component to making this happen is having a top-notch train station to help drive and support this growth.”
Improvements include ongoing exterior repairs to the station and parking garage, including repointing brick and repairing concrete, along with interior renovations throughout the station. Interior work will include renovated restrooms and hallways, new flooring and ceiling tiles, LED lighting, upgraded utility connections, and improvements to the main passenger areas, including the atrium and the space at the bottom of the escalators leading to the pedestrian tunnel.
The renovated station will offer new and improved retail and food service space, additional family restrooms, and a new wellness room. Plans also include a central atrium bar and café, a mezzanine level bar and lounge area, and expanded seating options throughout the atrium and mezzanine. In addition, the improvements will include renovated office and rail administration space, upgraded common areas, security, and ticketing spaces.
These renovations and improvements are being jointly advanced by the Union Station Partnership, a collaboration between the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the City of New Haven.
The state and city are jointly seeking information from retail and food service vendors interested in bringing new businesses to Union Station. Through this process, selected vendors and tenants will have the opportunity to design and build out their own spaces, creating a mix of businesses that serves rail passengers and the surrounding community.
Interested vendors can learn more about this process through the Request for Interest document the state and city released today. Vendor applications are due by January 29, 2027.
The exterior repairs currently underway at the station and parking garage total $9.1 million, while interior improvements are anticipated to cost $15.7 million. The projects are being fully funded by the state. Exterior and phase I interior work are expected to be completed by the end of 2027, phase II interior work in the second half of 2028, and parking garage repairs in 2029.
In addition, work is also underway on a feasibility study to determine which parts of Union Station’s heating and cooling systems can connect to the Union Station Area Thermal Energy Network project, a new geothermal network being developed by the City of New Haven to provide clean green energy to the train station and adjacent housing under development by Elm City Communities.
The ongoing improvements announced today are separate from a proposed future project to make major upgrades to station platforms, platform canopy, and pedestrian tunnel at Union Station. That project, which is currently in the design phase, is a more than $400 million investment and will also include improvements to supporting rail infrastructure, power, and station utilities, stairs, and elevators. Construction is expected to begin in 2029, pending funding and approvals.