Trump Administration Moves To Take Over D.C.’s Union Station
Two weeks after President Donald Trump's administration took control of D.C.'s law enforcement and deployed National Guard troops in the city, it is now moving to take over management of the city's central transit hub: Union Station.
The Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the administration is “reclaiming management” of the 118-year-old property. The department said it is negotiating an agreement with Amtrak, which leases the rail and retail portions of the station, and with the nonprofit that oversees the property.
It said a formal action is expected next month.
“Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair,” DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press release Wednesday, which also celebrated the launch of new Acela trains.
“By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost,” he said.
The federal government has owned the station since the 1980s, but it has been managed by the nonprofit Union Station Redevelopment Corp.
The station's 213K SF of retail space was subleased to New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. in 2007, but it lost control in 2022 after defaulting on its loans. The sublease was then taken over by Rexmark, and then Amtrak moved to seize it via eminent domain. Amtrak won a court battle in March allowing it to take control of the retail.
It’s unclear what roles USRC and Amtrak will have once the agreement is executed.
Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment. USRC declined to comment and directed questions to DOT.
DOT's release said that while USRC receives income from the station’s parking structure, it generates little additional revenue, “leaving far too little funding to keep the historic station in good repair.”
Union Station is the second-busiest Amtrak hub nationally, with more than 5.5 million riders annually. The station also connects MARC and VRE trains to Maryland and Virginia, respectively, and it has a stop on D.C.'s Metro system and buses that leave from its parking garage.
The property's retail space has more than 50 tenants, including over two dozen food offerings, plus apparel, jewelry and gift shops.
Union Station is planned to undergo an $8.8B renovation and expansion over the next few decades, with the actual work expected to take 13 years once it begins. The total funding amount hasn't been secured.
The station has been one of the hubs where the Trump administration has stationed National Guard troops and federal law enforcement over the past few weeks following the president’s mid-August action to take over the city's law enforcement.
More than 2,200 National Guard troops have been deployed, and as of this week, they are carrying weapons.
The administration says it taking these actions to curb crime in the city, which Trump has called “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.”
D.C. data shows that violent crime has been declining since mid-2023 and homicides are down by 15% year-to-date compared to the same period last year, according to The Washington Post.
Bowser in a press conference Wednesday said the federal surge has helped reduce crime: violent crime over the last two weeks has been down 45% compared to the same period last year, and carjackings are down 87%.
Responding to a question about Union Station, she said she is unclear if the federal government is just taking over management of the transit hub or ultimately looking to do more.
“If it’s about what Union Station needs for its total transformation, that would be an amazing initiative for the federal government to take on,” she said.
Bowser also said she spoke with Trump about the station during transition into office and that they discussed how the asset “could represent a very significant and good investment for this region.”
UPDATE, AUG. 27, 2:20 P.M. ET: This story has been updated to include comments made by Mayor Muriel Bowser at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
