By Jim Kinney

The Phoenix Awards Institute has recognized Springfield Union Station as the best example of brownfield redevelopment in the country for 2017.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, the driving force behind the station's $95-million rehabilitation into a modern intermodal transportation hub, gathered Monday with city officials to celebrate the award.

The Phoenix Awards were announced at the 2017 National Brownfields Training Conference in Pittsburgh earlier this month.

"Thank you to the Environmental Protection Agency, MassDevelopment and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission for their work in securing this impressive award for Springfield Union Station," Neal said. "The opening of Union Station earlier this year was the culmination of decades of hard work. I am thrilled to see this very special project receiving such prestigious national accolades and am proud to be part of its success story."

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