Upscale Food Hall Part of Union Station’s $1 Billion Renovation Plan

No doubt inspired by the current food hall trend sweeping the city, an upscale food court is part of a more than $1 billion renovation plan for Chicago’s Union Station. The food vendors would share nearly 110,000-square-feet of space with retailers, according to Curbed Chicago. A fire damaged that area that once was home to a three-floor building that included a series of restaurants and lounges run by the defunct Fred Harvey chain.

The food hall would stand along the Clinton Avenue side of the train station, DNAinfo noted. The scope of the project also includes the surrounding real estate outside of the station. The plan, which dates back to 2015, also calls for five new towers. Goettsch Partners are designing the project. They’re the same firm behind 150 North Riverside, the building that will eventually house a Small Cheval along the Chicago River. Union Station received a caffeine upgrade last year when Starbucks opened an express concept that uses a ticketed system.

The project will take six years to complete. Union Station was built in 1925. Back then it cost $75 million to build, officials said this morning at a news conference. The city teased another announcement later today regarding the project. Check back later for any relevant updates.