Below are the words we heard last year, and yes they have now come true.
Yesterday, on a beautiful cloudless blue sky, gentle breeze,
wear-a-sweater Autumn afternoon, we at last paid a visit to check out
our brand new train/transportation station in the heart of the city. . . . . and
quite honestly we were blown away!
'Today (in 2017) it's a gravel-filled construction site.
But this time next year? Expect something amazing at Raleigh's
new Union Station, says the project engineer.'
Raleigh Union Station is completed and open for business - at least for
AMTRAK train service. Bus traffic and hopefully light rail will be added later.
We had such a fun time exploring the station as well as conversing with
other Saturday visitors on the outdoor observation deck - we do love to
meet and chat with interesting people.
There was a dad with his young son who longs to ride trains;
a Brazilian couple our age who moved here 25 years ago; a very
nice Jordanian gentleman who came to the US many years back and
owns a business with his family here; a young couple with a beautiful
7 month baby boy who were good listeners, despite us being older than
their grandparents!
All in all it was a busy visit.
I loved that the architect has taken what was a huge ironworks company
supply warehouse, built in the 1940's, renovated and expanded it, but
kept many of the original elements incorporating them into the new
contemporary construction.
The station timepiece hanging from a vintage ironworks gantry.
'Raleigh Union Station fits within efforts to support the expansion of mass transit
options in North Carolina's central region. Raleigh is a rapidly growing city, and
with that comes a need for transportation facilities to meet current and future
transit demands.
Raleigh Union Station will not only serve Amtrak passengers, but also
act as a multi-model transit center connecting riders to other forms of transit.
Offering this level of service will address congestion and land development
concerns, while also providing a transportation hub that will continue to
revitalize Downtown Raleigh and its Warehouse District.'
'The station retains elements of the old steel warehouse, including the massive steel pillars and ceiling beams in the main hall. Two gantries overhead that used to move steel around the building are fixed in place, as is the big sliding steel door on the back wall. The walkway leading to and from the train platform is lined with rusted steel plates salvaged from the warehouse.'
All photos via iPhone
Hope you had a great weekend too.
We actually started out just to take Bob's desktop computer to the repair
shop - it crashed yesterday morning as, like us, it's showing it's age I fear!
The ride through downtown became a "let's find a parking place and take a
walk around" mini sightseeing tour! It's years since we both worked downtown
and the many changes always bring surprises, some good, others bad.
We must say however time definitely doesn't stand still. . . . . . the entire
cityscape is an ongoing project.
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