Redevelopment of Denver Union Station is a long-term gain for the city but a short-term pain for parking motorists and local merchants. Construction work on the $161 million transit and hotel project has resulted in the disappearance of 390 surface parking spaces that formerly surrounded the historic train depot.

That’s an issue for several businesses, including the iconic Tattered Cover Book Store cater-corner from Union Station.

“We certainly have felt the impact,” said Tattered Cover owner Joyce Meskis. “People are still coming, but we’ve seen somewhat of a fall-off in business.”

Meskis also was troubled by construction-related disruptions to street lighting — since corrected — and by construction fencing that has extended onto a portion of Wynkoop Street.

“These things play on the psyches of the people who traverse the neighborhood,” she said.

Real estate brokerage Kentwood City Properties, across Wynkoop from Union Station, has “gotten very creative” in response to the parking shutdown, broker and owner Dee Chirafisi said.

The biggest impact has been on Kentwood employees who parked in the Union Station lots, she said.

“You just need to get out of your routine and put on your thinking cap and maybe walk an extra block or two,” she said. “There are plenty of solutions. You just need to be open-minded.”

Employees now are using more bus and light rail, and some will use B-cycle bikes when the shared-cycling program resumes in the spring.

Chirafisi said the office has arranged to use valet parking at the Oxford Hotel for real estate closings and important meetings.

At The Parlour hair salon on Wynkoop, customers have experienced mild inconvenience from the lost parking spaces, staffer Stacey Lohmar said.

They’ve been directed to nearby parking garages, she said, and employees sometimes will go out to feed customers’ on-street parking meters.

Bill Mosher, senior managing director and principal of Trammell Crow, which is representing the Denver Union Station Project Authority, said he sympathizes with merchants whose customers have lost parking spaces.

“Any merchants who lose adjacent parking have to be hurt by it,” he said.

Two office buildings will be built on the site of the two main parking lots formerly at Union Station.

The buildings will have underground parking garages reserved primarily for tenants during daytime hours. The spaces will be open to the public during evenings and weekends.

Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com