JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — It may take three years before the Amtrak station in Missouri’s state capital returns to the historic Union Hotel.
The Jefferson City News Tribune reports that, while state legislators have appropriated $14.3 million to repair the building, the project faces 10 to 12 months of design work, followed by another 18 to 24 months of construction work.
Amtrak moved its station from the building to a nearby temporary structure in 2019 because of concerns over the 168-year-old Union Hotel’s structural integrity [see”Digest: Stimulus money should allow DC Metro to avoid service cuts …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 11, 2021].
A $1.3 million project to build a new station platform, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, began last September but is on hold for the winter. It is expected to be completed this year.
The Union Hotel, built in 1855, is part of the Jefferson Landing State Historic site. When repairs are complete, the three-story hotel building will be used for office, educational, and museum gallery space, as well as the Amtrak station.
