TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa City Council has approved more funding for the restoration of Tampa’s Union Station.
Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency has already pumped in $2.5 million into the project that has been an ongoing effort to make repairs to the historic building, constructed in 1912.
What You Need To Know
- Tampa’s Union Station is receiving $1.5 million in additional funding from the Community Redevelopment Agency for ongoing renovations and repairs
- Friends of Tampa Union Station says it envisions a train station that also is home to food and beverage service and space for community events
- Tampa Union Station saw 13% growth in passenger service last year
- Tampa Union Station is the second busiest passenger train station in Florida
With a new approval last week, City Council approved the acceptance of an additional $1.5 million to cover costs related to new wood trim to seal leaking windows, a fresh coat of paint and upgrades to the station’s existing bathrooms.
Brandie Miklus, President of Friends of Tampa Union Station, a nonprofit that has been working for years to restore the train station, said the ongoing funding will eventually lead to a Union Station that isn’t just used for train service.
“There’s so much activity and growth and development occurring around the station, so we want to be a part of that and be connected to that,” Miklus said.
Friends of Tampa Union Station are working toward a future that includes food and beverage shops inside Union Station, as well as an area where community events can be held.
Passenger service at Tampa’s Union Station has been growing thanks to funding from the CRA and the city of Tampa.
The year 2023 saw a 13 percent increase in rail travelers through the station, with 129,000 total passengers.
Union Station in Tampa remains Florida’s second busiest passenger train station.