The Denver Union Station Master Plan serves as the blueprint for redeveloping and preserving Denver's historic Union Station and 19.85 acres of surrounding land. Union Station will be transformed into a transportation hub - serving the needs of residents, tourists and commuters.

The Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) was formed in 2001 through an intergovernmental agreement between the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the City and County of Denver (CCD), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) to pursue a common interest in Denver Union Station.  After RTD purchased Denver Union Station in 2001 with the assistance of the Partner Agencies, RTD, CCD, CDOT and DRCOG jointly initiated the Denver Union Station Master Plan process.

With extensive community involvement, the EOC created a vision to guide redevelopment and serve as the basis for preparing the Environmental Impact Statement, zoning the property, achieving historic landmark designation, and other future implementation activities.

"Denver Union Station will be a multimodal transportation hub of international significance and a prominent and distinctive gateway to downtown Denver and the region.

Denver Union Station will bring critical elements of the public and private local, regional, statewide, and national transportation systems, both existing and future, together with private development and inspiring civic features.

Denver Union Station will create an exciting setting that will improve the connections between all transportation modes, respect the character and historical significance of the station and its adjacent neighborhoods, and provide a stimulating environment for public activity and economic vitality."

Spanning two years, the Master Plan process invited the public to share ideas through town meetings, mailings, a web site and other public outreach efforts. Public participation included the work of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Union Station Advisory Committee (USAC) representing the interests of various stakeholder groups across the region. This public process produced more than 40 alternative scenarios and a series of goals and principles to guide redevelopment
at the site.

In September 2004, the four Partner Agencies adopted the Master Plan vision, framework, and practical guidelines to transform the Historic Station and the 19.5 acres site into a multimodal concept intended to bring together many means of transportation in one place with logical, safe and convenient transfers.  It was anticipated that the concurrent design and construction of the site’s transportation and development elements would provide mutual advantages and efficiencies.

The 2004 Master Plan detailed the benefits and complexities of combining all of the region’s ground transportation modes at one hub.  It created the opportunity for Denver Union Station to enhance the value of local, metropolitan region, state and federal investments in highways, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, light rail, passenger rail, buses, parking, bike paths and pedestrian networks.  The multimodal hub concept also allowed for expanding the transportation network statewide through private bus and rental car services and internationally by linking to Denver International Airport (DIA).  The 2004 Master Plan envisioned restoring Denver Union Station as the gateway to downtown Denver, the metropolitan region and the state of Colorado.

2004 Master Plan:
Introduction/Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Overview
Vision Plan (Description)
Implementation
Project Context (Project Structure, Vision, Goals & Principles, Area and Neighborhood Context
Project Context (Site History)
Structuring Elements (Denver Union Station Site, Multimodal Transportation Program)
Structuring Elements (Development Potential)
Structuring Elements (Regulatory Structure-Zoning, Regulatory Structure -
Landmark Designation)
Principles of Urban Form (Public Open Space, Pedestrians & Bicycles, Vehicular Access & Parking, Street Edges, Urban Form)
Principles of Urban Form (Historic Building, Uses & Activities, Transportation Facilities, New Architecture & Way Finding, Sustainability)
Alternatives Evaluated 
Appendix 01
Appendix 02

While much of the 2004 Master Plan remains relevant, subsequent events and studies related to the Denver Union Station site indicated the need to update information about the proposed treatment of various transportation and development elements and to extend the geographic scope of the plan to include the areas along 17th Street to the Consolidated Mail Line (CML).  As a result, in 2008, the Denver Union Station Master Plan Supplement was adopted.