Union Station Neighborhood - Project Roadmap

Complete: Community Visioning & Concept Selection

  • Initial planning studies (Make Ogden, Union Station Framework, Ogden Onboard, etc.)

  • Broad community engagement sessions (2020–2024)

  • Selection of preferred concept (“Concept C”)

In Progress (Live): Detailed Master Plan Development

  • Consultant team preparing site plans, land use framework, circulation, open space, and design standards

  • Ongoing public open houses & workshops

  • Integration of museum, transit, Wall Avenue, and economic study component

Planned | Upcoming: Draft Master Plan Finalization

  • Incorporate public feedback into refined plan

  • Technical review (city departments, UTA, UDOT, consultants)

  • Produce complete draft for Council/Planning Commission

Planned | Upcoming: Formal Public Review & Adoption

  • Planning Commission hearings

  • City Council hearings

  • Public communications and publishing final plan

  • Formal Adoption of Union Station Neighborhood Master Plan

Planned | Upcoming: Implementation Tools & Approvals

  • Update zoning & overlays (if needed)

  • Adopt design guidelines/standards

  • Establish/amend Funding or other related boundaries

  • Finalize financing strategies (RDA/TIF/HTRZ, bonds, grants)

Planned | Upcoming: Exclusive Negotiation Agreement → Master Development Agreement

  • Transition from ENA to executed MDA with development partner

  • Define roles, phasing, and funding commitments

  • Formalize responsibilities between City, UTA, private developer, and museum partners

Planned | Upcoming: Pre-Development & Site Preparation

  • Utility coordination (water, sewer, power, telecom)

  • Environmental review/remediation (if needed on former UP/UTA parcels)

  • Demolition of non-historic/temporary structures

  • Interim site uses (parking, staging) planned during transition

Planned | Upcoming: Infrastructure & Public Realm Construction (Phase 1)

  • Wall Avenue reconstruction & streetscape

  • Transit/parking structure buildout

  • Union Station Plaza and pedestrian connections

  • Streets, sidewalks, lighting, and utilities installed

Planned | Upcoming: Vertical Development (Phase 2+)

  • Mixed-use parcels (north and south sites) activated with private development

  • Ground floors: retail/restaurant/office

  • Upper floors: residential, hospitality, office

  • Ongoing buildout of plazas, paseos, open space

Planned | Upcoming: Project Delivery & Monitoring

  • Ongoing phasing over multiple years

  • Periodic updates to Master Plan as conditions change

  • Continued engagement through Union Station Neighborhood Engagement Group

Museum planning - New Facility + Union Station Restoration

Complete: Collections Study & Visioning

  • Review of existing Union Station collections (railroad, firearms, classic cars, etc.)

  • Space needs analysis and initial curatorial direction

  • Vision for a new facility to house collections and enable full historic restoration of Union Station

In Progress (Live): Concept Design (Current Phase)

  • Consultant team developing concept layouts for new museum building adjacent to Union Station

  • Integration of exhibit zones, collection storage, archives, education spaces, and visitor services

  • Coordination with Union Station restoration needs and public plaza design

  • Initial public open house presentation (October 2025)

Planned | Upcoming: Funding & Fundraising Strategy

  • Develop capital campaign (local philanthropy, state/federal cultural grants, foundation partners)

  • Identify private donors and naming opportunities

  • Establish project governance structure (City + Museum partners + fundraising foundation)

  • Launch phased fundraising campaign with public/private targets

Planned | Upcoming: Schematic Design

  • Translate concept plans into building diagrams (floor plans, elevations, site layout)

  • Address adjacencies for exhibits, loading, visitor circulation, and plaza connection

  • Cost estimating and refinement to match fundraising capacity

Planned | Upcoming: Design Development

  • Detailed architectural drawings (materials, systems, sustainability features)

  • Coordination with UDOT (Wall Avenue) and UTA (transit plaza) designs

  • Begin preliminary permitting discussions with City departments

Planned | Upcoming: Construction Documents

  • Complete stamped architectural and engineering plans

  • Formal permitting (building, fire, accessibility, environmental reviews)

  • Bid package prepared for contractor procurement

Planned | Upcoming: Procurement & Contracting

  • Competitive bid/RFP for general contractor (or CM/GC approach)

  • Contract execution, guaranteed maximum price (GMP) negotiated

  • Pre-construction services (schedule, logistics, safety, phasing with Union Station operations)

Planned | Upcoming: Construction Phase

  • Site preparation and utility relocation

  • Building foundation, shell, and core

  • Interiors: galleries, archives, classrooms, offices, event spaces

  • Exterior plaza connections and landscaping

  • Concurrent Union Station restoration (historic Great Hall, wings, Laundry Building)

Planned | Upcoming: Exhibit Fabrication & Installation

  • Curatorial team finalizes exhibit narratives and design

  • Fabricators build and install interactive displays, signage, lighting, and casework

  • Move of collections from Union Station to new facility (with conservation protocols)

Planned | Upcoming: Opening Preparation

  • Staff training, soft openings, community preview events

  • Marketing and tourism partnerships launched (Visit Ogden, UTA, etc.)

  • Grand opening event and ribbon cutting

Planned | Upcoming: Ongoing Operations & Programming

  • Rotate exhibits to maintain freshness and relevance

  • Educational programming with Weber State, schools, and cultural groups

  • Continued fundraising for endowment and long-term sustainability

Transit Planning - Restoring Union Station as a Regional Hub

Complete: Union Station Identified as Transit Hub

  • Ogden City + Utah Transit Authority (UTA) agreement to plan jointly for Union Station’s role as a transit hub

  • Union Station identified in Ogden Onboard and Union Station Framework as preferred future location for Frontrunner and bus service integration

In Progress (Live): Coordination on Service Integration (Current Phase)

  • Planning with UTA to relocate Frontrunner platform adjacent to Union Station

  • Planning the integration of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), local bus routes, and pedestrian/bike access

  • Coordination with UDOT Wall Avenue redesign to ensure connectivity

In Progress (Live): Feasibility & Engineering Studies

  • Evaluate track realignment and platform design options

  • Assess impacts to existing bus loop, parking, and BRT alignment

  • Define passenger circulation (entries, ticketing, waiting, pedestrian pathways)

  • Prepare cost estimates and phasing plan for construction

Planned | Upcoming: Funding Commitments & Environmental Review

  • Secure federal/state capital funding (FTA, UDOT, Legislature)

  • Identify local match sources (RDA, sales tax, bonding, CRA tools)

  • Complete environmental review (NEPA/FTA compliance)

  • Conduct public hearings for transit design and environmental clearances

Planned | Upcoming: Preliminary & Final Engineering

  • Preliminary engineering: refine alignment, station footprint, utilities, and structural design

  • Final engineering: complete stamped construction documents

  • Coordinate design with Union Station Plaza, museum, and Wall Avenue projects

  • Obtain permits and final approvals

Planned | Upcoming: Construction of Transit Facilities

  • Site prep and utility relocation

  • Build new Frontrunner platform and canopies at Union Station

  • Construct bus bays, BRT stops, and pedestrian plaza connections

  • Install wayfinding, lighting, safety features, and parking access improvements

  • Maintain transit operations during phased construction

Planned | Upcoming: Return of Frontrunner Service to Union Station

  • Testing and safety certification of new station and rail facilities

  • Launch of integrated transit services: Frontrunner directly serving Union Station, BRT and bus routes connecting seamlessly at new transit plaza, Pedestrian and bike links to downtown and regional trails

  • Public opening ceremony marking the return of passenger rail to Union Station