Capital Metro puts out pretty pictures ahead of Downtown Station open house

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released a final set of shiny renderings showcasing the reconstructed MetroRail Downtown Station. The images feature various angles of the double-sided platform that will be able to accommodate three pairs of its Stadler-produced rail cars. The project is now budgeted at $39.4 million, almost double the original $22 million estimate that will be covered by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation. The city of Austin is chipping in $3 million to pay for utility work necessitated by the work between the Downtown Hilton and the Austin Convention Center on East Fourth Street. Once completed, the road between Trinity and Red River streets will be permanently shut off to car traffic, and Neches Street will be converted into a cul-de-sac in front of the hotel. The plan would shift the station to the east, creating a public plaza between the platform and Trinity Street that could eventually lead to the rehabilitation of Brush Square into a space on the order of the newly renovated Republic Square Park. Capital Metro is holding an open house on Wednesday to present the Downtown Station plans to the public. The come-and-go event will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the convention center’s Ballroom B.