Denver Union Station’s closure for its long-anticipated makeover is finally here. The station will close to the public after this weekend so that workers can begin the year-and-a-half process of restoring the structure to its former glory and adding new hotel, restaurant, and retail uses to the historic landmark. The “new” Denver Union Station will open, along with the rest of the transit infrastructure under construction nearby, in 2014.

To celebrate the station’s pending transformation and to take one last look at the inside of the “old” station, DenverInfill and Union Station Advocates will be hosting an informal gathering inside Union Station’s Great Hall, this Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 10:00 AM to Noon. This is not our usual DenverInfill walking tour, nor is it an open house per se. It’s just two hours this coming Saturday morning when anyone who’s a fan of Union Station can stop by and check out the Great Hall one last time before it closes for restoration.

Stop in and take a look at the various project renderings posted around the inside of the station. See the dramatic Commuter Rail canopy structure being erected immediately next to the station to the west. Snap a few pictures of what Union Station “used to” look like for posterity’s sake. I will be there, along with many of my fellow Union Station Advocates board members, hanging out to help answer any questions you may have about the project. And around 11:00 AM, Dana Crawford, our city’s most honored historic preservationist and Denver Union Station hotel developer, will say a few words about the upcoming restoration.

Remember, this Saturday morning is your final opportunity to see our beloved historic station before its “reveal” in 2014: the centennial of the 1914 Great Hall and the 133rd anniversary of the two historic wings.