New Alton, IL station - expected opening

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Anyone have info regarding when the new Alton, Illinois, station will actually open?
The station building is complete, but there are still a few things that need to be addressed before opening up for business. Invoking Fair Use, here are some of the details, thanks to the Alton Telegraph. This article is from June 30, 2017, three weeks ago. Link to the full story - http://thetelegraph.com/news/104842/alton-train-station-building-done-site-work-remains-opening-date-not-set

ALTON — Construction of the Alton Regional Multi-Modal Transportation Center building was completed by Friday’s deadline, but the city got a two-month extension to finish exterior concrete work.

“The station is substantially completed, but the intergovernmental agreement granted us an extension through August 31 for the TIGER-funded (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) portion of the work,” said Greg Caffey, Alton director of development and housing.
--snip--

General contractor RCS Construction Inc. of Wood River, which has a $14,356,841 contract with the city for the project, completed the punch list inspection of the 8,000-square-foot building at the northeast portion of the former Robert P. Wadlow Municipal Golf Course, Homer Adams Parkway and Golf Road.

“It only needs minor items, such as interior signage and a final cleaning of the station, there is a lot of dust in there,” he said.

The remaining work outside, which Caffey said would be completed by July 31, is pouring cement for the “kiss-and-ride” passenger drop-off and the loop for Madison County Transit Authority buses, plus some small miscellaneous site work.
--snip--

There still is no date set for opening the transportation center, which also will accommodate Amtrak passenger trains, despite signs directing passengers to the new station going up last week in Alton.

“We are still in the process of finalizing the lease agreement” with Amtrak, Caffey said. Once the new station is about to open — with the 89-year-old Amtrak station at 3400 College Ave., to close — he said the city can set a grand opening ceremony.
By the way, if anyone has ever wanted their very own train depot, Alton and UP are still trying to find someone to take it off their hands. Any non-profit can have the soon-to-be former Alton station for free. Any taker will need to move the station and will be required to repair the site after the depot building has been hauled away. If no one wants the building once the new station opens, UP will tear the old station down.

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Image Source - pintrest.com
 
Why does UP want the station moved? What are they planning to put there? (Double track?)
 
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In most places railroads are happy to sell the station building and the underlying property *in situ* and put up a fence. Why is UP behaving differently?

Looks to me like this one might qualify for the National Register of Historic Places.

The idea that they'd tear down a historic building in that good condition confirms my disrespect for UP management. Unless there's some extra piece of information which hasn't been published (like, they're planning to run a track right through that location).
 
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