(rshsdepot) Longview, TX

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

=46rom the Longview News-Journal...

Local: Railroad depot might receive makeover
BY GLENN EVANS
Children probably tightened their grips on parents' hands, their eyes
widening, as they stepped into the cool, dark tunnel beneath the tracks a=
t
the old Longview train depot.
They might again.
That's if a letter expected from Union Pacific Railroad indicates a deal =
can
be negotiated to entice the carrier to donate the Depression-era depot to
Longview. The junction closed in the late =9250s, and its main section no=
w
holds about 11 Union Pacific offices with the Amtrak depot at its west en=
d.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for everybody," Natalie Rabicoff said,
describing the depot as a potential hub for Amtrak passenger rail, buses =
and
taxicabs. If separate plans come to pass, a restored depot off Mobberly
Avenue also would be a base for cross-city bus service and a stop on a
high-speed rail route.
Rabicoff earned the national Amtrak President's Award in 1997 after leadi=
ng
efforts to save the Texas Eagle from extinction. Now she is the city's
go-between to Union Pacific in seeking donation of the depot, which was
built within a year of the 1939 Mobberly Avenue railroad underpass.
She envisions new life in the old station, which could be the centerpiece=
 of
a nest of gift shops, art boutiques and eateries. The grassy lawn there
could host small festivals, Rabicoff said.
She's corresponded with Union Pacific executives in charge of real estate=
=2E
She said Union Pacific might propose a swap, in which local entities buil=
d
offices replacing the Union Pacific offices inside the depot in exchange =
for
the donation. Those offices inside the old building could be built in the
freight yard, she and County Judge Mickey Smith said.
The judge has placed $30,000 in his proposed 2002 budget to be spent only=
 if
a deal is brokered. Commissioners are set to vote on Smith's plan on Sept=
=2E
17.
The Longview City Council plans to approve its 2002 budget on Thursday.
Assistant City Manager Karen Daly, who with City Manager Rickey Childers =
has
blessed Rabicoff's solo mission, said no city funds are earmarked in the
proposed budget.
Smith said the county is ready if the city ponies up for the project.
"I can envision a lot of little restaurants down there, and pretty antiqu=
e
lights," he said. "And if we get the high-speed rail, we'll be ready for
that as well. I just hope they can negotiate it with Union Pacific.
"I think we could restore it to its natural beauty. It's got the old tin
roof =97 back from when I was a kid I remember that. I think it's got a w=
hole
lot of potential in there. This can be a great asset to Longview and Greg=
g
County."
With the county money in Smith's proposal and the city's budget approval =
at
hand, Rabicoff wrote Union Pacific executive Ron Mayer late last week.
"I told him to let me know by (Sept. 13)," Rabicoff said. "Because we've =
got
the county (on board), and the city manager is researching what he can pu=
t
in his budget."
Daly said Friday the city will look at ways to contribute funds if Union
Pacific shows interest.
"We've looked at a couple of (funding) options, depending on what the use=
 is
and who will own the depot," Daly said. "The city is very supportive of
recapturing the depot, so we'll try to make it work. It would be a great
place."
She added that scenario of a multi-transportational hub with arts and
entertainment is compatible with the downtown master plan's recommendatio=
n
for areas east of downtown proper.
Nancy McWhorter, director of the Gregg County Historical Museum, remember=
s
the tunnel beneath the tracks. The thought of a renewed depot, "just sort=
 of
makes you smile," she said.
"I grew up here, and have watched a number of things from our past be tor=
n
up through the years," she said. "The main thing I remember is, as a chil=
d,
the tunnel where you go under the tracks to get to the other side."
Historical Commission Chairman Dr. Norman Black also can't bury his memor=
ies
of the tunnel.
"It was wide enough you could have driven a car through it," he said. "Oh=
,
it's still there. There's no doubt about it."

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