From the Chicago Sun Times:
Amtrak announced Thursday, January 28, 2015 a $12 million renovation project at Union Station that will include rehab of the marble stairway made famous in the movie “The Untouchables” as well as plans to commission a redesign of the often-congested concourse area where commuters board and de-board trains.
Improvements will also be made to the station’s facade, and updates will be made to the sprinkler and temperature control systems.
More than 120,000 people make their way through the 90-year-old station every day, said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.
“It’s a disgrace compared to how smooth things are run at Ogilvie [Transportation Center],” said Ed Arnold after commuting into Union Station from Naperville Thursday morning. “I’ve missed trains because of congestion in the concourse. It’s screwed me up big time,” said Arnold, 61, a consultant.
The improvements are part of a multimillion-dollar master plan that is a collaboration by Amtrak, Metra and the Illinois and City Departments of Transportation.
“Amtrak and Metra ridership has grown significantly since the 1991 reconfiguration of the concourse level,” Magliari said. “We’ve outgrown that design.”
New doors will be added to help control the building’s heat and prevent bursting pipes, which occurred twice this month to the sprinkler system.