Amtrak and PIP to transform William H. Gray 30th Street Station by 2025

Amtrak and Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia (PIP) have reached financial close on a lease and development agreement for the restoration and renovation of the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station. Under the agreement, PIP will refurbish and improve the historic building, finance those improvements and maintain the station for a 50-year term.

“This important milestone in the Gray 30th Street Station Redevelopment Project is part of Amtrak’s overall strategy to enhance the customer experience and operations at our major stations,” said Dennis Newman, Amtrak’s Executive Vice President of Planning and Asset Development. “The scope of this work will transform this historic Philadelphia landmark into a modern world-class station with superior amenities, better intermodal connectivity and new customer-facing improvements over the next five years.”

The historic transportation hub is nearly 100 years old and is Amtrak’s third busiest station. This redevelopment project will restore and highlight the historic fabric of the majestic station, while refining the customer experience by introducing new amenities; reinvigorating the station’s retail and commercial potential; improving and expanding existing office space; and enhancing transit and pedestrian traffic flows.

This large scale redevelopment is the first significant phase of Amtrak’s ongoing efforts toward implementing the Gray 30th Street Station District Plan and includes nearly 500,000ft² of renovation and modernisation. As part of the project, PIP will be responsible for:

• Bringing the overall station into a state of good repair
• Providing expanded retail offerings to meet the needs of travellers and the local community
• Enhancing operational efficiency through reconfiguration and modernisation of back-of-house facilities to accommodate projected increases in ridership
• Significantly enhancing the quality of customer experience with an emphasis on convenience, usability and comfort
• Rejuvenating the historic station as both a customer-oriented gateway and civic destination by celebrating and enhancing the facility’s unique and iconic Neoclassical and Art Deco design
• Completing a renovation of the corporate office spaces in the upper levels of the station
• Operations and maintenance of the existing building, beginning on 1 September 2021
• Creating an expanded and modernised concessions experience, with high quality retail and food and beverage offerings for travellers and employees.

Construction on the renovation is expected to begin in 2022 and be complete in 2025.