(rshsdepot) 2001 Grants from the Great American Station Foundation

["Jim Dent" <james.dent_@_itochu.com>]

Fifteen Cities Receive Grants to Revitalize Local Rail Stations and
Economies


Las Vegas, NM -- Fifteen cities are being honored for their efforts to
preserve, restore and improve local rail stations.  Honorees were selecte=
d
to receive $250,000 in grant money from the Great American Station
Foundation, a non-profit corporation that promotes economic development
through the preservation of railroad stations.  The winners were selected
=66rom 52 applications submitted by communities in 24 states.  Individual
grant amounts ranged from $2,500-$30,000.
"These grants provide money to support local efforts to revitalize these
important public spaces and trigger additional economic development," sai=
d
Hank Dittmar, president of the Great American Station Foundation. =93We=92=
re
pleased at the level of interest in station revitalization around the
country, and particularly pleased at the way that this round of grants
combines economic revitalization with the provision of convenient
transportation choices.=94

The grants were given to communities of varying size and geographic
location.  To promote development beyond the doors of the stations, grant=
ees
include those stations with the potential to provide a variety of travel
options including Amtrak, commuter rail, intercity bus, and local transit=
 as
well as supporting vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian activity.  The 2001
honorees include Kingman, AZ; Fresno, CA;  Grand Junction, CO; Hollywood,
FL;  79th Street in Miami, FL;   Centralia, IL;  Matoon, IL;  Normal, IL;
Lawrence, KS;  Louisville, KY;  Natchitoches, LA;  Edgewood, MD;  Deming,
NM;  Wharton, TX;  and Brookfield, WI.

"Station revitalization can provide the spark that brings downtown back t=
o
life," said John Robert Smith, chairman of the Station Foundation's Board=
 of
Directors and Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, which revitalized its Amtra=
k
station a few years ago.  "Our station project in Meridian has not only
prompted a boom in Amtrak ridership, it has sparked over $18 million in n=
ew
investment in our downtown."

The Great American Station Foundation was founded in 1996 with seed money
=66rom Amtrak, which continues to support the Foundation.  Substantial ot=
her
funding sources include Greyhound Lines, several private foundations, and
the Foundation=92s membership base.

For a detailed summary and photo of each winning project, along with more
information on the Great American Station Foundation, access the
Foundation's web page online at www.stationfoundation.org.

For further information, contact Erich Strebe at estrebe_@_transact.org or
505-426-8055
www.stationfoundation.org

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