(rshsdepot) Union Station - Dallas, TX

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From Pegasus News  Wire.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
Hyatt to undertake $55-million  renovation of Reunion Tower and Union Station

September 21 2007 

Hyatt to undertake $55-million renovation of Reunion Tower and Union Station  
By Pegasus News wire  
Officials of Hyatt Regency Dallas and Woodbine Development Corporation have  
announced plans for a major renovation of the 50-story Reunion Tower and  
historic Union Station, as well as the hotel’s meeting space and guest room  
suites.  
The combined $55-million project is being managed by Woodbine and will  
require the closing of Reunion Tower as of November 16, 2007, with reopening set  
for fall 2008. The hotel projects will be completed by year-end 2007, and the  
Union Station function space will be available for booking late summer 2008.  
``We’ve had an incredible 29-year operating history with the hotel, Reunion  
Tower and Union Station, and we’re extremely pleased to be taking these 
landmark  properties to new and exciting levels,`` said John Scovell, president and 
CEO of  Woodbine Development Corporation. ``While we would love to keep both 
Union  Station and the tower open for business, the level of this renovation 
would be  too disruptive for our customers. We will continue to run our 
signature light  shows on the tower, and rest assured that when we reopen in 2008 it 
will be with  a splash!``  
All three levels of Reunion Tower will be transformed in the renovation,  
which include combining Antares restaurant and The Dome lounge, situating them  
on the top level and converting the second level to event space. The 
observation  level also will be renovated providing a new level of experience.  
Union Station, which is owned by the City of Dallas, leased by Hunt-Woodbine  
Realty Corporation and partially operated by Hyatt Regency Dallas, currently 
is  undergoing major renovation of its roof, heating and air-conditioning 
system,  and exterior envelope. The interior renovation was launched in July with  
upgrades and addition of event space on the second floor, including the Grand 
 Hall, and renovation of third-floor office space. Union Station is a  
triple-registered historic building, and plans call for a particular emphasis on  
restoring architectural features of the 91-year-old building.  
Transportation services provided at Union Station, including DART light rail, 
 Trinity Railway Express commuter rail and Amtrak intercity rail and Texas 
Eagle  services, will continue to operate throughout the renovation process.  
Along with Reunion Tower and Union Station, Woodbine is managing renovation  
of the hotel’s exhibit space and guest room suites. The 15,000-square-foot  
Cumberland Hall is being upgraded to accommodate the increasing needs of meeting 
 planners for breakout space. This project began in early September and will 
be  complete by year-end 2007.  
Members of the design/development/construction team for Reunion Tower and  
Union Station include: Engstrom Design, architect/interior designer; McCall  
Design Group, design architect; Austin Commercial, L.P., general contractor;  
Architexas, historical consultant; Blum Consulting Engineers, plumbing and fire  
protection consulting; Brockette-Davis-Drake, Inc. and Conley Group,  
civil/structural engineers.  
The design/development/construction team for the hotel renovation includes:  
Culpepper, McAuliffe and Meaders, Inc., architect/interior designer; Adolfson  
& Peterson Construction, general contractor; Blum Consulting, MEP/fire  
protection engineer; Brockette-Davis-Drake, Inc., structural engineer;  
Hyatt Regency Dallas, Reunion Tower and Union Station were Woodbine’s first  
development projects and were opened in 1978. The Hyatt Regency Dallas complex 
 today includes its 1,122-room hotel, Reunion Tower and second-floor meeting  
space at Union Station. The hotel, which underwent a $70-million renovation 
and  expansion between 1998 and 2000 and a $13.4-million guest room renovation  
between 2003 and 2005, features 160,000 square feet of function space 
including  three ballrooms, two exhibit halls, 56 meeting rooms and 42 hospitality 
suites.  A historical perspective of the city is presented on three levels of 
the  property through its Reflections of Dallas photo and art exhibit. The 
silhouette  of the hotel and adjoining 50-story Reunion Tower has given the Dallas 
skyline  worldwide recognition. For more information, visit the Web site or 
call  214-651-1234. 



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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1606
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org