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Preservationists Eye Historic Impact Of Union Station Upgrade

By: Elliott Francis // August 6, 2012
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A rendering of what the inside of Union Station could look like after a proposed $7 billion renovation.
Courtesy of Amtrak
A rendering of what the inside of Union Station could look like after a proposed $7 billion renovation.

Preservationists in D.C. are worried proposed upgrades to Union Station could jeopardize its standing as an architectural icon.

Amtrak intends to spend $7 billion to double the number of trains the station can accommodate in order to turn the depot into a high-speed rail hub, officials from the rail agency said last month.

But the D.C. Preservation League is warning about the possibility of damaging the station's historic value with an overreaching renovation, Rebecca Miller, executive director the league, tells the Washington Examiner.

Amtrak's plans could "improve the station" but also "undermine an architectural and community icon," according to a report [PDF] released by the league last week. 

So far the company has not revealed how the project would be funded. Union Station opened in 1907 and it is still the second-busiest train station in the country. 

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