The Ramsey County Board, acting as the Regional Rail Authority, on Tuesday approved the purchase of the main building of the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul as part of its quest to turn the area into a regional transit hub.

Commissioners voted 6-0 to pay $8.1 million for the property. Closing is set for Thursday.

The three-story, 188,000-square-foot building, known as the head house, has "good bones" but will need about $350,000 worth of repairs soon, according to a county study. Those would include fixing concrete sidewalks and curbs, roof repairs and electrical updates. The county plans to open the building as a transit hub in 2012.

The county will take over the leases of the 265-space parking facility and Christos Greek Restaurant, which will continue to host events and operate as usual.

It did not buy the condos.

Jolly Mangine, the county's property management director, said that aside from the money needed for repairs, the building will pay for its operations. "You'll take in more revenue than you expend," Mangine told commissioners.

That said, he suggested the county wait on trying to lure new tenants to the building until after a master plan is completed.

Commissioner Jan Parker said it's important to include retail in the planning because the building needs to have a critical mass of restaurants and shops, not just transit.

Rail Authority Chairman Jim McDonough said the top priority is to get Amtrak and bus lines on board.

Purchase of the block-long building facing 4th Street, between Wacouta and Sibley streets, comes a year after the county agreed to pay $49.6 million for the depot's rear concourse and 9 acres of adjacent land.

The county has long envisioned the Union Depot's return as a regional transportation hub -- this time with rail, buses, bicycles and taxis.

Current plans call for the last stop of the Central Corridor light-rail line to be in front of the Union Depot, although county commissioners would like to see the line extended to the rear concourse.

The neoclassical Union Depot was built between 1918 and 1923 on the site of an earlier train station that burned in 1915. During its heyday, the depot had nine railroads operating, with more than 20 million pieces of mail passing through the station annually. At its peak, 280 passenger trains rumbled through each day.

The last train rolled out on April 30, 1971.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and, because of that, any future exterior work must be approved by the St. Paul Heritage Preservation Committee.

Investors have had their ups and downs with the building over recent decades, and the county is hopeful that it can restore Union Depot to its past luster.

"This is going to be something that we will be very proud of, that Minnesota will be very proud of," said Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt.

Chris Havens • 612-673-4148