The Missouri Office of Administration is finalizing its renovation plans for Jefferson City's historic Union Hotel.
But it could be another three years before the Amtrak station is moved back inside.
Lawmakers appropriated $14.3 million last year to fix structural integrity issues within Union Hotel. Once fixed, the state plans to use the 168-year-old building for office and educational space, a museum gallery and to house the Amtrak station.
The Union Hotel and Amtrak station on its ground floor were closed to the public in 2019 after a state inspection found issues with the building's exterior masonry walls and overall structural integrity. The Amtrak station was relocated to a temporary shelter across the street in the Lohman Building parking lot.
Located at the end of Jefferson Street and built in 1855, the Union Hotel is part of the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site. The landing and hotel earned a reputation as a meeting place for rivermen and legislators soon after the seat of state government was transferred to Jefferson City in 1826, according to Missouri Parks, which oversees state historic sites.
Chris Moreland, public information officer for OA, said the state has selected a consultant and OA's Facilities Management, Design and Construction department is finalizing the scope of work required to renovate Union Hotel.
Once FMDC has the scope of work finalized with the consultant, Moreland said the state is anticipating 10-12 months of design followed by another 18-24 months of construction work. The cost of inflation was a consideration when funding requests were submitted for the project, he said.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the agency responsible for state parks and historic sites, is active in discussions and will have input throughout the project, Moreland said.
"The goal for the project is to reactivate the historic Union Hotel for the purposes of office and educational space, museum gallery space, and for the use of a fully functional and accessible Amtrak passenger rail station," he wrote in an email to the News Tribune.
Long-range plans also called for sealing the building off from weather, upgrading HVAC systems and installing an elevator to bring the former hotel into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ADA compliance is also the focus of a $1.3 million project Amtrak is undertaking on its nearby passenger loading platform.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the 10-month project isn't yet complete but should be done by the end of this year's construction season. After breaking ground last September, construction is largely on hold until the ground thaws.
The new concrete platform will stretch 325 feet long and have handrails. The platform will also drain properly as the project will reconfigure the existing stormwater management system.
Magliari has previously said Amtrak is funding the platform project with appropriations it received through the federal government to bring its stations into compliance with ADA.
Amtrak is planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony for when the platform is finished, which Magliari said is likely to be before the state finishes renovating Union Hotel. The Amtrak passenger waiting area will remain in the temporary shelter in the Lohman Building parking lot until the Union Hotel renovation is complete.