PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After nearly three years of construction, the interior construction barrier at 30th Street Station is gone and the south concourse is open to visitors.
Natural light streamed through the vertical windows Wednesday onto the marble floors and travertine walls of the south concourse of the 93-year-old station.
Travelers were delighted by the station’s refreshed look.
“While it is a newly-renovated space, it still gives a piece of like you're still part of a historical building,” said Sonal Castelino, visiting from Toronto.
“It's a beautiful space,” echoed Sarah Rudolph, also from Toronto. “It's light and airy. I mean, you have a sense of being close to the outdoors without being outdoors. So, a nice protected space.”
The $550 million renovation included new customer restrooms, which were already opened for use, as well as new space for retail and restaurants.
“It just gives you a really nice feeling of modern architecture fused into historical building and stuff like that. So this is good,” visitor Jing Goh told KYW Newsradio. “I'm very impressed with how the light just blends in with the background around here. So it's good. I mean, once things open up around here it'll look really good.”
To many travelers’ dismay, those new spaces were still empty.
“It looks like it will be a great space, but it's not here yet. Not helpful in the time being,” said Allison, traveling from Boston. “Nothing is open. It would be nice to have something open while they do these renovations.”
An Amtrak spokesperson said retail areas will open in phases over the coming months.
The concourse was scheduled to officially open to the public Friday with a planned ribbon-cutting ceremony.
