Then & Now: The Past, Present & Future Of Baltimore's Penn Station
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Traveling back in time: it's 1910 in Baltimore, and construction is underway on what would soon become a bustling transportation hub. Penn Station was then called Union Station and it was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Over time, Baltimore had multiple railroad stations serving different lines, but when cars came into the picture, some of the private railways closed.
Penn station, though, remained, and quickly became one of the busiest train stations in the country.
History is written all over its walls, but a lot of it you can't even see.
Most people haven't been upstairs to the second floor of Penn Station in 30 years, and many don't realize there's a third and fourth floor above that.
Walk through the second-floor atrium and you'll find a sprawling map. At one time, it was the power transfer traffic control room where railroad movement was tracked from Maryland, to Cecil County, to Washington D.C.
Soon these rooms and hallways will be getting a makeover, something that hasn't happened here since the 1980s.
Tim Pula is one of the people behind it. He's the Vice President of Community Development for Beatty Development Group, which is one of the partners in the redevelopment of Penn Station.
Taking an old space like this and transforming it to make it new while also keeping the history of the station is a delicate balance.
"There are certainly challenges and there's a give and take," Pula said. "Usually there's some negotiation and compromise to get to something that we think works for new users but also preserves the character."
The Tiffany skylights, iron railings, and 100-year old windows are all staying with a bit of sprucing. The massive map of the northeast on the second floor will be preserved for the public to see.
All of the empty rooms will be turned into three floors of coworking spaces.
Developers are hoping to kickstart the development of the surrounding neighborhood as a whole with the Penn Station renovation.
Restaurants, coffee shops and other gathering areas are planned for what's now the first-floor ticketing area. Then a brand new concourse will be built across the train tracks on Lanvale Street when all is said and done.
Lauren Kelly-Washington is the president of the Greenmount West Community Association. She moved to the neighborhood specifically to be close to Penn Station, because her husband commutes to Washington, D.C. for work.
"It's the heartbeat of Baltimore," Kelly-Washington said. "So, here's how I like to think about it. Baltimore is the city of stoop sitting. It's the biggest stoop you can have, right?"
As Baltimore's biggest stoop, she hopes this becomes a destination spot. Where people come to bond over a meal, or maybe an art exhibit, or a concert.
"Culture and ideas are brought in and out through the center of the city, especially through a transit system," Kelly-Washington said.
Scaffolding has already gone up around the station for external improvements. Starting in the summer, crews will make core and shell improvements to the building, such as a new roof, window restoration, updated stairs and ramps, and new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
In the fall, construction will begin on a station expansion in a parking lot across the tracks from the main hall. Once completed, the new structure will house ticketing and baggage for Amtrak, allowing the main concourse to be used for retail.
By 2023, the developers hope to have refurbished the three upper floors as office space, either for a single anchor tenant or multiple businesses.
