The National Visitor Center

The National Visitor Center project evolved from a relatively simple arrangement, in which railroads that owned Union Station would convert it into a combination visitor center and railroad station and then lease it to the government, to a very complex financial and management arrangement. At present, the project consists of an unusable parking facility, a visitor center with less than planned-for services, and a railroad station that is probably inadequate for the future. The Department of the Interior, in managing the project, did not protect the government's interests nor keep Congress informed of changes in scope and costs. If additional funds are to be appropriated, Congress must decide what the final configuration of the Center should be and at what cost and require that good project management procedures be instituted. Projections for future passenger growth are important factors in considering options for completion of the Center. The only government commitments relating to the Visitor Center are $8.2 million in grant funds obligated by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration to cover costs of facilities for a bus terminal.