 Seattle's elegant King Street Station is again gracing the city with its historic character and re-establishing itself as a key transportation hub. Designed by Reid and Stem, the firm behind New York City's Grand Central Terminal, with a clock tower modeled after Venice's Campanelli di San Marco, King Street Station opened to great acclaim in 1906, but as train travel dwindled in the late 20th century, the station fell into disrepair. In 2008, the City of Seattle purchased the building from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company for $10. A design team worked with the Seattle Department of Transportation, the community, and transportation partners to restore King Street Station to its former prominence. Today, this restored civic landmark is once more the gateway to the city. Even better, it sits at the intersection of several historic neighborhoods in the midst of an urban renaissance, the perfect way and place to make a connection.