The restoration of Baltimore’s Penn Station passed a key milestone this month when contractors started taking down the scaffolding that has enshrouded the building’s exterior for more than two years.
Restoration and modernization of the 1911 train terminal at 1500 North Charles Street is part of a $150 million initiative to improve customer service and increase ridership at Penn Station, the eighth busiest Amtrak facility in the country.
The last major renovation to Penn Station was in 1984. The development team is led by Penn Station Partners, which includes Beatty Development Group and Cross Street Partners, working closely with Amtrak. Quinn Evans is the architect for the station restoration.
The newly-polished façade was gleaming over the weekend, as years of grime were removed from the stone exterior. In addition to masonry cleaning and repairs, work includes window refurbishment, a new roof and upgraded lighting – all intended to bring the building’s shell to a state of good repair.
Still to come are upgrades to the station’s interior, including new retailers and restaurants on the concourse level and office space on the upper three floors, and a new passenger terminal on the north side of the train tracks. In January, Amtrak officials cut the ribbon for Platform Five, where passengers will board high-speed Acela trains when it goes into service this spring.
Worth waiting for. I will miss sitting there when they build the new glass and steel passenger terminal.
Harris Glenn Milstead aka Divine would’ve liked the renewed Baltimore Penn’s Station a lot !