Worcester’s Union Station is in need of over $6 million in repairs 16 years after it was brought back from the dead.
The Worcester Redevelopment Authority was notified last week of a pricey situation for the city’s iconic train station, which was brought back into service in 2000 after sitting dormant since 1974. According to a presentation to the organization, there are three options for the station, with repair costs getting up over $6 million for options described as “good, better and best” by President Mike Pagano of architecture firm Lamoureux Pagano & Associates, Inc.
“The good solution … it’s sort of an industrial-grade band-aid, it isn’t going to last forever and you’re going to be back doing the same sort of work in a number of years,” said Pagano, describing the “good” solution to the board during its meeting Thursday. “We think it could last as many as 10 years although it is likely to show signs of failure in as little as 5 years.”
The cost for that “good” solution would range up to $1.3 million but have the shortest construction time. A full-scale repair would cost from $5.5 to $6.2 million, according to Pagano. The city’s cost would be about 20 percent of the repairs, with the Federal Transit Administration covering the remaining amount.
“Leaking, if allowed to continue will lead to much greater problems as time passes,” he told the WRA members. “There is some damage, but it is topical and can be easily treated.”
The board will discuss the issue further at their next meeting.
