Chicago Union Station renovations/upgrades

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Eric S

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http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2010/08/amtrak-steams-ahead-with-plans-to-revamp-union-station-picks-jones-lang-lasalle-to-head-effort.html

There was a recent article in the Chicago Tribune about upcoming changes and renovations planned at Chicago Union Station. It mostly dealt with changes to the Great Hall portion, with details about changes to the concourse area to come later, according to Amtrak.
Buried in the story was one of the keys to the sorry excuse that currently is CUS: Amtrak plans to move from offices that it LEASES into the almost empty floors over the GreatHall which of course is basically,as the story says, empty except when a rent-an-event takes place and then passengers can't even go into it! While they are @ it they need to look @ expanding the Metro Lounge also since it is so small, one idea that has been suggested to move the waiting rooms for coach pax to the Great Hall and expand it into the consourse and another is to move it to the Great Hall Area where there is so much unused space and where the "temporary" Lounge was located during the last rennovation oif the Metro Lounge!
 
While they are @ it they need to look @ expanding the Metro Lounge also since it is so small, one idea that has been suggested to move the waiting rooms for coach pax to the Great Hall and expand it into the consourse and another is to move it to the Great Hall Area where there is so much unused space and where the "temporary" Lounge was located during the last rennovation oif the Metro Lounge!
Amtrak almost doubled the size of the Metro lounge just a few years ago. And while it does get crowded during the summer months, during the rest of the year they don't even need the space that they currently do have. So going larger is probably not in the cards, even if space could be found to actually do an expansion.
 
While they are @ it they need to look @ expanding the Metro Lounge also since it is so small, one idea that has been suggested to move the waiting rooms for coach pax to the Great Hall and expand it into the consourse and another is to move it to the Great Hall Area where there is so much unused space and where the "temporary" Lounge was located during the last rennovation oif the Metro Lounge!
Amtrak almost doubled the size of the Metro lounge just a few years ago. And while it does get crowded during the summer months, during the rest of the year they don't even need the space that they currently do have. So going larger is probably not in the cards, even if space could be found to actually do an expansion.
I have it from a very good source that Amtrak does plan to relocate and enlarge the Metropolitan Lounge in CUS. It will be moved to the southeast area of the great hall. It will be just north of the "Untouchables" stairway, extending to the current walkway leading from the great hall to the gate area and back to take in the current shoeshine/dry-cleaners area and out to the former passenger drop off area. The now lounge is to a two story area with a separate entrance off Canal Street.

The Amtrak ticket office will also be moved to the area now occupied by the Metro Deli and wrap around into the great hall at the northeast area.

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