Online Video and Audio Tours Introduce

Historic Union Depot

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (July 12, 2016) – Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority has introduced online video and audio tours that visitors can use to become familiar with Union Depot, a nationally recognized, award-winning multimodal transportation hub in downtown St. Paul. As part of the celebration of the landmark station’s 90th anniversary, the recently released the tour campaign, titled “See. Do. Learn. Go.,” highlights Union Depot’s numerous amenities to help guests plan their visit.

The three-minute long video tour gives viewers a quick look at Union Depot’s historical highlights as well as what’s happening today related to transportation and event. The audio tour lasts 18 minutes and takes guests through five different areas of the station with five segments, beginning near the front door. The audio tour can be played on a mobile phone or other wi-fi enabled device (wi-fi is free at Union Depot). “We created these tours to highlight Union Depot’s many unique features, and to inspire people to visit for a private or public tour or to partake in the numerous events offered throughout the year,” said Rafael E. Ortega, chairman, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority. “Visitors can also come here to enjoy the experience of a regional trip by train or bus to Red Wing or a bus ride to Duluth, or a longer journey by train to Chicago and other destinations. Whether by train, bus, or light rail, there’s an enriching travel option for everyone.”

Travelers arriving from other destinations will find the video and audio tours wonderful introductions to the station as they wait for luggage and families to greet them. Visitors to Union Depot will find that the video tour provides a visual feel for Union Depot prior to arrival for travel, an event or just to hang out. Once at the station, the audio tour can be stopped and started at any time so visitors can explore the public art, special exhibits in the Head House, the historic stair area and the outdoor spaces. Booking a private tour or attending a public tour is yet another way to more deeply connect with the history, cultural significance and bright future of Union Depot. Union Depot is also a community gathering place where visitors can stop at The Java Express and grab a drink and a snack before playing a friendly game of Ping-Pong or exploring the Lowertown neighborhood. Public events including arts and cultural festivals, transportation-themed activities and holiday celebrations are offered throughout the year. Weekly events include Games Galore and yoga. The beautiful and unique event spaces are also highlighted in the video. The rooms, with historic naming tied to service men and women who served the country and Red Caps from the Rondo neighborhood who served the station, are available for large or small celebrations and meetings.

To learn more about the video and audio tours, please visit http://www.uniondepot.org/videotour/ or http://www.uniondepot.org/walkingtour/. Stay up-to-date with Union Depot happenings by becoming a Facebook friend at https://www.facebook.com/uniondepot, and following the venue on Twitter at https://twitter.com/uniondepot. Visitors to Union Depot are encouraged to add photos of their visit to Instagram at #DiscoverUnionDepot and #UD90. For more information, visit www.uniondepot.org.

Getting to Union Depot

Bike: Bicycle parking is located at the East Plaza/bus platform, North Plaza/4th Street, Kellogg entrances, Rail View Picnic Area and throughout the parking facilities

Bus: Daily service to bus platform on Metro Transit buses 3, 16, 21 and 54, Metro Transit buses 63, 70, 350, 351, 361 and 364 stop at the corner of Kellogg Boulevard and Broadway

Weekday-only service on Metro Transit buses 94, 262, 417 | MVTA buses 480, 484, 489

Light Rail: Daily service on Metro Transit's Green Line

Park: Union Depot parking facilities and electric vehicle charging stations

Car Share: Zipcar and Car2Go

About UNION DEPOT...The beautifully renovated Union Depot is one of American’s great rail stations from the early 20th century. Celebrating 90 years since its completion in 1926, Union Depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and certified LEED® Gold in 2014. Today, it is a welcoming destination for all and serves as a major transportation center and dynamic event venue in the heart of the Twin Cities. Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority owns Union Depot which offers a full complement of transportation services: Amtrak®, Green Line, Jefferson Lines, Greyhound, megabus.com, Metro Transit and MVTA buses, car sharing (Zipcar and Car2Go), and parking - including electric vehicle charging and bicycle storage. The Regional Railroad Authority is dedicated to a long-range vision that addresses changing transportation needs by preserving rail transit corridors for future transit use, studying transit options and providing transit services. JLL, under contract with the Regional Railroad Authority, is responsible for management of Union Depot and working collaboratively to establish a welcoming community gathering place at the historic landmark. For more information, go to uniondepot.org.

About JLL…JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. A Fortune 500 company with annual fee revenue of $5.2 billion and gross revenue of $6.0 billion, JLL has more than 230 corporate offices, operates in more than 80 countries and has a global workforce of more than 60,000. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 4.0 billion square feet, or 372 million square meters, and completed $138 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2015. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $56.4 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

Media Contacts: Cathy Kennedy, Cathryn Kennedy Consulting, 612-309-3951

Pam McCarthy-Kern, Cathryn Kennedy Consulting, 612-360-0647