Washington, D.C.’s iconic 115-year-old landmark Union Station was once a bustling train station with a dining scene and retail stores for commuters. Inside now are vacant shops after vendors were driven out by rising crime. Just outside its entrance, tourists have been greeted with homeless camps on the front lawn.
Union Station officials are now strategizing on how to lure retail shops and commuters back to the transportation destination.
The new management team has reportedly been planning to make the transportation hub “cleaner and brighter,” with an increased police presence and new dining and retail options.
Union Station Redevelopment Corporation’s new leader Doug Carr said he believes that the rail station can be saved but will “take a lot work.”
Crews have been deep-cleaning the building, painting, upgrading lighting, and doubling private security. They hope to add “musical performances and community events” in the coming months.
“We want to give them a place to come at night and on the weekends,” said Matt Barry, who manages the station’s commercial side.
WASHINGTON’S UNION STATION SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LAWLESSNESS IS IGNORED
As of November, Union Station had only 40 retailers and eateries, compared to the over 100 stores it housed two decades ago.
Commuters told one outlet at the time that there was a “post-apocalyptic feel to the station” and that they felt “more threatened at the station amid its surge in mental health incidents, homelessness and high-profile crime.”
People also found that they were constantly harassed by homeless people when they tried to eat at one of the dining options at the station. “Every single time, someone has approached me asking for something.”
Amtrak officers have reportedly responded to 47 assaults this year, up from 32 in all of 2021.
In September, there was a daytime shooting of a male victim in the west wing of Union Station that prompted commuters to run to hide in nearby retail stores.
One of the biggest retail losses came this past summer when Starbucks abruptly closed its store after citing safety issues.
“They’re incidents associated with chronic homelessness, with (the) mental health crisis, with substance abuse, and rising social and economic upheaval as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” a Starbucks spokesperson said.
The new management of Union Station said they are actively working on bringing back Starbucks.
Just nine years ago, when discussion boards on Trip Advisor asked about safety at D.C.’s Union Station, most respondents claimed it was “quite safe late at night” to spend time.
