Kansas City’s Union Station opened 100 years ago next month, a grand, 850,000-square-foot edifice that saw as many as 678,000-plus rail passengers pass through its doors in 1945. After falling into disuse and decay, it was restored and reopened in 1999 in all its original Beaux-Arts splendor – as home to theaters, museum exhibits, and such permanent attractions as Science City. With the return of train service, it’s the second-busiest terminal in the state.

In observance of the centennial, Jeffrey Spivak draws from his 1999 book, Union Station, Kansas City, in discussing the station’s history, controversial adaptive reuse, and role in future transit and civic plans. Now, a senior market analyst at Black & Veatch, Spivak spent more than 23 years as a civic affairs reporter for The Kansas City Star.