Historic Restoration of Union Depot in St. Paul

Historic Restoration of Union Depot in St. Paul / St. Paul, MN

Reviving an historic structure into today's modern transportation hub

Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) announced today that Union Depot achieved LEED Gold Certification. This is a tremendous accomplishment that marries historic preservation with today’s sustainable building trends. Specific elements that helped achieve LEED Gold include:

- Building reuse
- Building material salvaging
- Asbestos abatement
- Construction waste management
- Connection to district heating and cooling
- Lighting controls systems
- Natural lighting optimization
- Stormwater control
- Water-efficient landscaping
- Bicycle station
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Fuel-efficient vehicle parking
- Bike/pedestrian enhancements
- Public transportation access
- Waste management and recycling

Owned by RCRRA, Union Depot, originally built in the 1920s, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. RCRRA secured federal, state, and county funding to finance the $243 million restoration project. The renovation began in 2011 with Mortenson as the design-build contractor, HGA Architects and Engineers as the building architect and engineer of record, and URS Corporation as transportation design and engineer. The renovation generated approximately 4,400 jobs.

Facts And Figures

Ramsey County

Completed December 2012

$243,000,000

451,857 SF

Delivery Methods

Design-Build

We are proud of the hard work of so many people that led us to this moment. The LEED Gold designation is a challenge to attain in an older building, especially one on the historic register. High levels of creativity were required to maintain the historical integrity of the building while modernizing it to be relevant for the next century.

Rafael Ortega, Chair
Regional Railroad Authority