Tampa Union Station’s $6 million renovation should be mostly done by this time in 2027

Tampa’s 113-year-old train station is getting a facelift.

Union Station is set to begin a six-million-dollar renovation this year.

The renovation comes as the building, last renovated in the ’90s, was seeing signs of wear and tear from termite damage, water leaks, and more.

The renovation will include new windows, bathrooms, and more—all designed historically to maintain the building’s historic status.

Architect Jerel McCants is overseeing the project.

“This building was built in 1912, and its, the architectural style is like an Italian Renaissance revival. And when you walk around the outside perimeter, it’s reflective and emblematic of a merging of those architectural styles,” McCants said.

It comes as over 156,000 Amtrak travelers rode through the station in 2024, a 21% increase from the year prior.

Brandie Miklus is the president of Friends of Union Station, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the station.

“It seems to be increasing every year, not even in Tampa, but across the nation, it seems like train travel is up and folks are interested in other alternatives than driving,” Mikklus said.

Mikklus says the building will have a coworking space, as well as an area for a drink vendor.

She says that the station is some people’s first introduction to Tampa.

“We should lift it up. We should preserve it, and maintain it, and let it be a community destination and a train station for generations to come.” Mikklus said.

McCants says he expects the renovation to be mostly completed by this time next year, with demolition starting in the first quarter of this year.

To follow the renovations, visit Tampaunionstation.com.

This story first appeared at WMNF news, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email rroa@ctampa.com. Support WMNF News by visiting the community radio station’s station’s support page.