Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot (Salt Lake City)

Last updated
Rio Grande Depot
Former D&RGW Railroad and Amtrak station
Denver & Rio Grande Western Depot in SLC - Feb 3, 2011.jpg
Rio Grande Depot, February 2011
General information
Location300 S. Rio Grande, Salt Lake City
Owned by State of Utah
TracksNone remaining
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Other information
Station codeSLC
History
Opened1910
Closed1999 (passenger service)
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Elko
toward Emeryville
California Zephyr Provo
toward Chicago
Milford
toward Los Angeles
Desert Wind
Discontinued in 1997
Delta
Dropped in 1988
toward Los Angeles
Ogden
toward Seattle
Pioneer
Before 1991 reroute
Preceding station Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Following station
Ogden
Terminus
Moffat Tunnel Route
Discontinued 1983
Provo
toward Denver
Royal Gorge Route
Preceding station Western Pacific Railroad Following station
Burmester
towards Oakland
Feather River Route Terminus
Wendover
towards Oakland
California Zephyr through to Chicago via Rio Grande Main Line
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Station
USA Utah location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Coordinates 40°45′46″N111°54′16″W / 40.76278°N 111.90444°W / 40.76278; -111.90444
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1910
Architect Henry J. Schlacks
Architectural style Renaissance Revival, Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No. 75001815 [1]
Added to NRHP25 September 1975

The Denver and Rio Grande Western Depot, commonly referred to as the Rio Grande Depot, is a former train station on the western edge of Downtown Salt Lake City.

Contents

History

California Zephyr at the depot on its last western run, 1970 California Zephyr last western run 1970.jpg
California Zephyr at the depot on its last western run, 1970

The depot was constructed by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1910 at a cost of US$750,000. [2] The depot was the main jewel of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, and was designed by Chicago architect Henry Schlacks, who was best known in Chicago for his design of churches, but had also designed the Denver and Rio Grande Depot in Grand Junction, Colorado, for the railroad. [3] It was specifically intended to surpass the nearby Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot, which had been built the previous year for US$300,000. [2] Schlacks's relationship with D&RG was fraught with antagonism, mainly over his pay, which led to delay in the depot's construction. One interesting, and ironic, point was that Schlacks's brother was D&RG's vice president. [3]

The depot was built with elements of Renaissance Revival and Beaux Arts. The high-arched windows at the center were originally installed with green glass to keep the waiting area cool. The depot included a barber shop, a restaurant, a men's smoking room and a women's lounge. There was also a telegraph office and a souvenir/snack bar. The depot opened Salt Lake City to a new influx of immigrants. The depot was also a central point in shipping soldiers off to war in both World War I and World War II. The rise of highway auto travel in the 1950s struck a blow to rail travel and service at the depot dwindled. [3]

The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The State of Utah purchased the depot in 1977 for US$1 and the building is currently home to the Utah State Historical Society and its research center, the Utah Department of Heritage & Arts, as well as the Rio Gallery. [2] [4]

The depot was damaged during the 2020 Salt Lake City earthquake, requiring tenants (including a café and the Utah Division of State History) to relocate. [5]

Amtrak

From 1986 to 1999, the depot served as Salt Lake City's Amtrak station, replacing the Union Pacific Depot. It was served by the California Zephyr , Desert Wind , and Pioneer trains, with the latter two having been discontinued in 1997. [6] [7] The California Zephyr runs once daily between Chicago and Emeryville, California. The former Desert Wind ran daily from Chicago to Los Angeles, and the former Pioneer ran daily Chicago to Seattle. By 1999, Amtrak had moved to the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, [8] after which the tracks near the depot were permanently removed.

Future

Since 2015, the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency has designated the areas directly west of the Rio Grande Depot as "Station Center" and made their redevelopment into a mixed-use, transit-oriented district one of its priorities. [9] [10] The Depot itself is now considered by the agency to be a "barrier to development" [11] because of its position blocking 300 South Street.

Rio Grande Plan

In 2020, citizen professionals proposed reopening the Depot as Salt Lake City's main passenger rail and bus terminal, replacing Salt Lake Central Station. The "Rio Grande Plan" would move all downtown rail traffic underground into a cut-and-cover trench along 500 West, with Amtrak and FrontRunner trains serving sunlit platforms on the west side of the Depot. UTA's bus and TRAX light rail routes would stop at the east side of the Depot on Rio Grande Street, while regional buses would board at the north and south sides. The proposal would also eliminate three overpasses, five grade crossings, and 52 acres of rail yards—opening up redevelopment opportunities while improving safety and connectivity. The authors estimate the cost of the project would be $300 to $500 million, pointing to comparable work in Reno and Denver. [12]

By 2021, the plan had started to gain traction among the Salt Lake City Council and other stakeholders. To move forward, the plan would require buy-in from the Utah state government, UTA, and Union Pacific. [13]

In February 2023 Salt Lake City was awarded a federal grant to study solutions to the east–west divide, including the Rio Grande Plan. [14]

In December 2023, Salt Lake City revealed that it had conducted a screening analysis on the plan which expanded the scope due to stricter design requirements by UTA and Union Pacific. The revised project is estimated to cost between $3 billion and $5 billion. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad</span> American railroad company

The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, often shortened to Rio Grande, D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a 3 ft narrow-gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado, in 1870. It served mainly as a transcontinental bridge line between Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rio Grande was also a major origin of coal and mineral traffic.

<i>California Zephyr</i> (1949–1970) Passenger train operated from 1949 to 1970 in the U.S.

The California Zephyr was a passenger train that ran between Chicago, Illinois, and Oakland, California, via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Winnemucca, Oroville and Pleasanton in the United States. It was operated by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) and Western Pacific (WP) railroads, all of which dubbed it "the most talked about train in America" on March 19, 1949, with the first departure the following day. The train was scheduled to pass through the most spectacular scenery on its route in the daylight. The original train ceased operation in 1970, though the D&RGW continued to operate its own passenger service, the Rio Grande Zephyr, between Salt Lake City and Denver, using the original equipment until 1983. In 1983 a second iteration of the California Zephyr, an Amtrak service, was formed. The current version of the California Zephyr operates partially over the route of the original Zephyr and partially over the route of its former rival, the City of San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot</span> Historic train station in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot is a building on the western edge of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Built in 1908–09, it dates back to the more prosperous era in the history of American railroad travel. As Salt Lake Union Pacific Railroad Station, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Union Station</span> Train station in Denver, Colorado

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<i>Desert Wind</i> Former Amtrak long-distance rail service

The Desert Wind was an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that ran from 1979 to 1997. It operated from Chicago to Los Angeles as a section of the California Zephyr, serving Los Angeles via Salt Lake City; Ogden, Utah; and Las Vegas.

<i>Pioneer</i> (train) Former Amtrak train between Seattle and Chicago

The Pioneer was an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that ran between Seattle and Chicago via Portland, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Denver. Operating from 1977 to 1997, the Pioneer was the last passenger rail route to serve Wyoming, Southern Idaho, or Eastern Oregon.

Henry John Schlacks was primarily known as an ecclesiologist in a 19th Century sense of the word, meaning one who designs and decorates churches. He was from Chicago, Illinois, and is considered by many to be the finest of Chicago's church architects. Schlacks trained at MIT and in the offices of Adler & Sullivan before starting his own practice. He founded the Architecture Department at the University of Notre Dame and designed several buildings in the Chicago area.

<i>Rio Grande Zephyr</i> Former American passenger train

The Rio Grande Zephyr was a passenger train operated by Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad between Denver, Colorado and Ogden, Utah from 1970 until 1983. In operation after the creation of publicly-funded Amtrak, the Rio Grande Zephyr was the last privately-operated interstate passenger train in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FrontRunner</span> Commuter rail along the Wasatch Front in Utah, United States

FrontRunner is a commuter rail train operated by the Utah Transit Authority that operates along the Wasatch Front in north-central Utah with service from the Ogden Central Station in central Weber County through Davis County, Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake County to Provo Central station in central Utah County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,736,600, or about 14,100 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

The Salt Lake City Southern Railroad is a 25-mile (40 km) short-line railroad operating between Salt Lake City, and Murray, in Utah, United States. The SL began operating on April 19, 1993, as a RailTex subsidiary. Today the SL is a subsidiary of the Utah Railway and is owned by the Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Ogden, Utah)</span> Train station in Ogden, Utah, United States

Union Station, also known as Ogden Union Station, is a train station in Ogden, Utah, United States, at the west end of Historic 25th Street, just south of the Ogden Central Station. Formerly the junction of the Union Pacific(UP) and Central Pacific (CP) railroads, its name reflects the common appellation of train stations whose tracks and facilities are shared by railway companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Junction station</span>

Grand Junction station is a train station in Grand Junction, Colorado, United States, that is served by Amtrak's California Zephyr, which runs once daily between Chicago and Emeryville, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galesburg station (Amtrak)</span> Amtrak intercity train station in Galesburg, Illinois

Galesburg is an Amtrak intercity train station in Galesburg, Illinois, United States. The station was originally built in 1984, after the razing of the large depot just south of the current site. It is located north of the large BNSF Classification yard. Just south the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg diverge via the Quincy main line which bypasses the yard on the east side. The California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief continue to the southwest side of Galesburg near Knox College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helper station</span> Train station in Helper, Utah

Helper station is a railroad station in Helper, Utah. It is served by Amtrak's California Zephyr, which runs once daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is owned by the Union Pacific Railroad and contains a passenger waiting area; no services are provided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provo station (Amtrak)</span> Train station in Provo, Utah, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub</span> Intermodal transit center in Utah, USA

The Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub is a multi-modal transportation hub in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States served by the Blue Line of UTA's TRAX light rail system that operates in Salt Lake County and by the FrontRunner, UTA's commuter rail train that operates along the Wasatch Front with service from Ogden in central Weber County through Davis County, Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake County to Provo in central Utah County. Service at the intermodal hub is also provided by Amtrak, and Greyhound Lines, as well as UTA local bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise Union Pacific Depot</span>

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<i>San Francisco Zephyr</i> Amtrak passenger train in the U.S.

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<i>California Zephyr</i> Amtrak service between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area

The California Zephyr is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. At 2,438 miles (3,924 km), it is Amtrak's longest daily route, and second-longest overall after the Texas Eagle's triweekly continuation from San Antonio to Los Angeles, with travel time between the termini taking approximately 5112 hours. Amtrak claims the route as one of its most scenic, with views of the upper Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada. The modern train is the second iteration of a train named California Zephyr; the original train was privately operated and ran on a different route through Nevada and California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Depot (Grand Junction, Colorado)</span> United States historic place

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References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Haddock, Marc (19 Apr 2010). "All aboard! Rio Grande Depot turns 100 this year: Former Salt Lake train station now houses restaurant, museum ... and ghost?". Deseret News . Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 Jan 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Johnson, Brandon (Summer 2010). "One Building's Life: A History of Salt Lake City's Denver and Rio Grande Depot". Utah Historical Quarterly. 78 (3): 196–217. doi:10.2307/45063266. JSTOR   45063266. S2CID   254436179. Archived from the original on 2014-06-17. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  4. "Utah Division of State History: Contact State History". utah.gov. State of Utah. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 9 Jan 2014.
  5. "Rio Grande Depot still closed from earthquake, forces longtime café to move". Fox 13 Utah. Salt Lake City. December 2, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  6. "Amtrak National Timetables". timetables.org. Amtrak. 26 Oct 1986. p. 8. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 Jan 2014.
  7. "Amtrak National Timetable: Spring/Summer 1999". timetables.org. Amtrak. 16 May 1999. p. 17. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 Jan 2014.
  8. "Amtrak Timetable: Fall 1999/Winter 2000". timetables.org. Amtrak. 31 Oct 1999. p. 17. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 Jan 2014.
  9. April 2, Marjorie Cortez | Posted-; P.m, 2015 at 10:28. "Plans unveiled for SLC's Station Center, a mixed-use urban neighborhood". www.ksl.com. Retrieved 2021-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Garrott, Luke (2020-11-12). "City moves to create a plaza-like feel in Station Center, aiming to make a splash in the Depot District". Building Salt Lake. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  11. "Station Center Innovation District Concept" (PDF). May 28, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  12. Lenhart, Christian; Blakely, Cameron. "Rio Grande Plan" . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  13. Garrott, Luke (2021-09-27). "The Rio Grande Plan, updated: Putting trains underground in Depot and Granary Districts gets Salt Lake City's attention". Building Salt Lake. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  14. "Reconnecting Communities: Healing Salt Lake City's East-West Divide".
  15. "Rio Grande Plan Screening Analysis". Transportation. Retrieved 2024-01-04.

Further reading