But Science City’s attendance at its new home could barely support itself, much less a building that is only about 200,000 square feet smaller than Towne East Square. The idea, Guastello said, was for Kansas City Museum’s Science City – akin to Wichita’s Exploration Place – to support the revitalized Union Station.
And after $258 million was raised to restore the station – $118 million of which was paid for by residents of four Kansas City area counties (three in Missouri and one in Kansas) through a bi-state sales tax increase – it reopened in 1999. was created to lead a restoration effort. In 1994 the Union Station Assistance Corp. Amtrak also operates offices at the station and runs four daily trains through it. Today the station boasts 30 tenants that include office users, restaurants and retailers, a 3-D theater, planetarium, railroad and Irish museums, a credit union and the downtown post office. Union Station Kansas City is the nonprofit that manages the 850,000-square-foot property, as well as the adjacent Science City and the Kansas City Museum, which is located in a different part of the city. It took time for Kansas City Union Station to get where it is today: a self-supporting operation that generates enough annual revenue to not only pay its bills, but to put money back into maintaining the property, said George Guastello, CEO of Union Station Kansas City Inc. And the downtown locations aren’t always seen as an asset. The size of the facilities can narrow the potential for tenants. In contrast, most of Oklahoma City’s downtown station has been vacant for decades, used only partially by Amtrak and a local bakery, although officials there are implementing plans to transform the station into a hub of local and regional transportation operations.Ĭities that agree to undertake projects to reuse or restore their train stations often face financial hurdles.
It sits alongside an active railroad corridor that includes passenger and freight trains. Kansas City’s station, on the Missouri side and at the southern end of downtown, is a multifaceted operation consisting of entertainment, museums, the Science City annex, private and government offices, restaurants and shops.
From New York City’s Grand Central Station to depots that dot small Kansas towns, the structures appeal to those who want to preserve not only the buildings, but the history that they represent. The projects could mean investments ranging anywhere from $25 million to $50 million, he said.Īcross the nation, cities large and small have struggled with how to use old train stations that were once the heart of their communities. Oborny said last week that he’s considering a variety of options for the distinctive and historic buildings on Douglas across from Old Town that once housed the train terminal, as well as a hotel and the Rock Island Depot.
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