[OhioGuy]

Huge parking garage axed from Union Station expansion plans
Washington Business Journal | By Tristan Navera | May 5, 2022

The Federal Railroad Administration is scrapping plans for an above-ground parking garage to serve a modernized Union Station as part of a major expansion of the landmark transit hub.

The FRA plans to present a revised concept for the station's modernization in July, National Capital Planning Commission staff said Thursday, and a 1,525-space parking garage will no longer be a part of the proposal. Instead, parking will be reduced by as much as 50% and moved underground.

The previous garage proposal had been panned as overkill, unnecessary and intrusive by D.C. leaders, Union Station neighbors and developer Akridge, owner of the air rights above the station's railyard that will one day be developed as "Burnham Place."

"These moves do have big implications for what happens above the tracks," NCPC Senior Urban Designer Matthew Flis said during the NCPC's monthly meeting, referring to Akridge's 14-acre, 3 million-square-foot Burnham Place. "It would begin to free up this area for some other kind of development and ... allow for better coordination with the adjacent air rights development."

The NCPC, a congressionally chartered planning board with approval authority for projects on federal land in D.C., had been a strong opponent of the parking structure. Commissioners said Thursday they were happy to see it nixed, which Chair Beth White said would set the stage for a better development over the tracks.

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Elections have consequences. It is good to see the Federal Railroad Administration willing to reduce the number of parking spots.

Federal Railroad Administration Will Revisit Union Station Proposal

February 10, 2021
By Nena Perry-Brown
Urban Turf

"It appears that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) listened to those who registered their disapproval of the recommended path forward for the expansion of Union Station.

Last week, the FRA announced that it is reconsidering the contents of its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) rather than moving forward with any alternatives at this time:

Following the end of the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on September 28, 2020, FRA decided to revisit project planning for the Preferred Alternative. Informed by the feedback received from agencies, stakeholders, and the general public, FRA is presently working with the Project Proponents (Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Amtrak) to review and refine project elements in cooperation with other key stakeholders.

When the FRA released the draft EIS in 2019, developer Akridge (who controls the development air rights above the Union Station railyard) spoke out against the liberal parking provisions included in the recommended configurations. Shortly afterward, others added their voices to the outcry against the presented options, including neighbors, councilmembers, the Mayor, DC's delegate to the House of Representatives, and the National Capital Planning Commission."

https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/bl...proposal/17868