(rshsdepot) Keokuk, IA

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_home.com>]

Union Depot repairs discussed at meeting

P.L. Fooken
Hawk Eye correspondent

KEOKUK -- When you need one, you can't always find one; a mayor,
that is, railroad man B. Allen Brown said.

Pioneer Railcorp's development vice president tried to return
Gary Folluo's calls three times the day the mayor called him
about damages to Keokuk's historic Union Depot. They missed each
other, Brown said. But both were at Tuesday's public works
committee meeting in the city council chambers.

A respected historic renovation company has estimated it will
cost about $26,000 to fix the damage caused by the recent
accident. Pioneer has been told the driver has sufficient
insurance. Pioneer will apply any insurance received toward
repairing the depot, Brown said.

A 16-year-old driver backed his vehicle into the depot's
northwest corner on Aug. 4, leaving a six-foot by four-foot hole.
It is the last remaining depot designed by renowned architect
John Wellborn Root and was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1999.

Besides the depot and its future, Brown, Folluo and committee
members also discussed extinguishing a city road easement needed
by Keokuk Junction Railway for expanding its rail lines near the
Des Moines River and building an access road for residents in the
area if the easement is extinguished.

While discussion on all three and other matters will continue at
the committee's Sept. 4 meeting, great progress was made toward
solving problems and coming to a resolution, said Janet Fife,
chairwoman.

"There's a few more things we need to resolve and see if there's
a few more elements of the proposal we can put together to
satisfy all the needs the city thinks they need to have
satisfied," Brown said. "Hopefully, we will get back to them in a
couple of weeks or less."

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