Union Depot Seeking Evergreen Tree for “Hub for the Holidays” Festivities

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (August 1, 2016) –– Union Depot is seeking a beautiful evergreen tree, about 80 feet tall, to serve as the glittering center of its “Hub for the Holidays” festivities this winter in Lowertown. The magnificent evergreen fitting this description will become the featured holiday tree for the Union Depot Holiday Tree Lighting celebration on Friday, December 2, 2016.

The Union Depot Holiday Tree will stand tall on the North Plaza, adjacent to the Green Line light rail station on 4th Street, to welcome visitors to the venue’s grand front entrance. Twinkling brightly with more than 15,000 energy-efficient LED lights, the tree will brighten the winter nights through January 1, 2017.

For trees to be considered, they must have overgrown their location or otherwise need to be removed, but still in good condition. Only trees within Ramsey County will be considered. Individuals interested in donating a tree for this celebration should email their address and a photo of the tree to info@uniondepot.org or call 651-202-2700. The owner of the chosen tree will be eligible to have the tree removed and the stump ground down at no charge, and may also be eligible for a tax deduction. The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 30.

The Union Depot Holiday Tree will be chosen by November 1 and will be cut, transported and installed on Union Depot’s North Plaza by November 25.

The Annual Holiday Tree Lighting celebration will be held on Friday, December 2 at 6:30 p.m. and will include special live holiday entertainment, fireworks, and the first free Union Depot Holiday Movie Night to kick-off the “Hub for the Holidays” season of festivities. The Union Depot Holiday Tree will be on display from December 2, 2016 to January 1, 2017. Visit the calendar at uniondepot.org for more information on upcoming events.

Contacts: Tina Volpe, Union Depot, 651-202-2702

Cathy Kennedy, Cathryn Kennedy Consulting, 612-309-3951

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

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.