(rshsdepot) GASF 2002 Grant Application Package

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

From the Great American Station Foundation website...

2002 Grant Application Package

The Great American Station Foundation is pleased to begin accepting
applications for our 2002 grant cycle. We offer these grants to help
jump-start community efforts to revitalize rail stations as active
inter-modal transportation facilities and for station oriented development
projects. The Station Foundation does not fund the establishment of rail
service, for-profit activity associated with stations, or stations that will
not be used as a terminal for regularly scheduled public transportation
services.

Are You Eligible to Apply for a Grant?

·          Organizations eligible to receive Station Foundation grants
include; state and local units of government, transit agencies, non-profit
organizations, and community development corporations. Applicants should be
able to demonstrate ownership or effective control of the station for a
station revitalization project, or planning authority or status as a
stake-holder in the case of a planning or station oriented development
project.

·          To be eligible, your station must be located within the United
States, and be served by Amtrak, commuter rail, other urban rail transit, or
serve as an intermodal terminal for other transportation services. Stations
which are not currently served by rail, but for which rail service is
planned may also be eligible.  Stations that will not serve as a terminal
for regularly scheduled public transportation services are not eligible.



For Which Type of Grant Should You Apply?
·          Seed grants are intended to give a community the capacity to
begin a station revitalization or station oriented development project.
Planning and design activities, development of business plans, public
involvement activities, historic structure reports and title assessments are
all examples of activities which might qualify for seed funding. The purpose
of these grants is to bring communities to a point where they are qualified
to compete for other funding, such as Transportation Enhancements or CDBG
grants.  No match funding is required for these grants, which range from
$5,000 to $15,000.  Approximately ten seed grants will be awarded this year.

·          Capital grants provide funds for station rehabilitation or other
capital improvement projects in and around a station.  Capital grants
provide funding for rehabilitation of station facilities, for passenger
facilities such as benches and street furniture, for interpretive centers in
historic stations, and funding for the purchase of stations and depots.
Preference is given to projects for which our contribution is a significant
part, or for enhancements to a station project that add a mode or a use to a
facility (e.g., adding facilities to accommodate intercity bus, bicycles or
package freight, or to accommodate mixed use development at or around the
station).  These grants, which range from $15,000 to $30,000, require a
dollar for dollar match from a local funding source.  Only four or five
capital grants will be awarded this year.

 Downloand grant application:
http://www.stationfoundation.org/pdfs/2002GRApp.pdf

Application Instructions

Please provide a completed cover page along with a clear and succinct
response to each category in the Application Outline appearing below. The
entire proposal should not exceed ten pages, excluding attachments.  Submit
two hard copies of your application package, unbound, with attachments, plus
one electronic copy on a 3.5” disk, CD, or ZIP disk in Word, WordPerfect, or
Adobe format.  Applications must arrive at our office on or before 5:00
p.m., Friday, April 12, 2002.  Send your application package to:

Year 2002 Grant Applications
Great American Station Foundation
615 E. Lincoln Avenue
Las Vegas, NM 87701



Questions?  Contact Erich Strebe at:

Email:         estrebe_@_transact.org  (please use email if possible)

Phone:        505-426-8055
Fax:            505-426-8057



Application Outline



I.  Completed 2002 Grant Application Cover Page



II.  Executive Summary

What is the overall scope of this project, and how do you expect it to
impact the community in terms of transportation, economic development, and
historic preservation?

Who are the major project participants, and how will they work together?


III.  Station Information
Who currently owns the station?  Describe any issues or plans affecting the
ownership, acquisition, or control of the station.

Total square footage, number of floors, boarding tracks, tunnels,
outbuildings, etc.

Total site acreage or lot size.

Current condition of the station.


IV.  Transportation Uses – Current and Planned

Describe all transportation services available at the station, including the
names and types of all transportation providers, the number of stops per
day, and passenger counts (if available).

What passenger services (ticket counter, lockers, rest rooms, waiting area,
snack bar, parking, etc.) are/will be available at the station?

What bicycle and pedestrian access and amenities, including trail
connections, are/will be available at the station?

How will this project affect transportation choices/ridership in your
community?


V.  Non-transportation Uses – Current and Planned

Please list and describe in detail all planned non-transportation uses of
the station (i.e., museum, retail space, community center) including
approximate square footage or percentage of space for each use.



VI.  Economic Impact of this Project
Is this project part of a larger economic development strategy or program?
Please describe.

What economic benefits do expect from this project?

How will you leverage this project to stimulate additional economic
development in the station neighborhood and the surrounding community?

Describe any plans for mixed use development in the station neighborhood

How will this project enhance/detract from the immediate station
neighborhood?

What impact will this project have on communities of color/low income
communities?

What other community benefits, tangible or intangible, do you expect to
accrue from this project?


VII.  Historic Preservation Issues

Provide a brief station history, including the original railroads served,
build date, etc.

What is the architectural and/or historical significance of this station?

Describe any station historical listings, eligibility, or intentions to have
listed.

Will the project restore the station according to national historic
preservation guidelines?

What issues may prevent compliance with these guidelines?



VIII.  Project Management
Provide a general outline of your project work plan:  Who will be involved?
Consultants/ experts/advisors?

How will you obtain and utilize community input on this project?

Provide a projected timeline for this project, including construction
start/finish dates and other major milestones.



IX.  Funding Plan
Provide a rudimentary budget listing major project costs/estimates.

Where will your funding come from?

Name sources and amounts of funding already committed to this project.

Name sources, amounts, and schedules of anticipated funding.

How will Station Foundation funds be used?  Please be specific.

If you have applied for a capital grant, what is your local match source for
Station Foundation funds?



X.  Operations Plan

Who will operate the station after its completion?

What is the estimated annual cost of station security, maintenance, and
operations?

What sources of revenue will be used to cover these costs?



XI.  Mandatory Attachments

1.       Letter of support from your state DOT or transit authority
assessing the transportation impact of this project.

2.       Letter of support from each transportation provider clearly stating
their intentions re the station.

3.       Three good quality color photos showing full exterior views of the
station.  Please send both hard and digital copies of the photos (.jpg
format preferred) on floppy disk, CD, or ZIP disk.  Almost any photo shop
can provide digital photo processing from 35mm film.



XII.  Optional Attachments

1.       Letters of support from local community groups, businesses in the
station neighborhood, and/or local officials.

2.       Recent articles regarding the station.

3.       Brief published histories of the station.




Scoring
 Applications will be judged according to the following criteria:

o         The degree to which the project establishes, coordinates, and/or
enhances use of intermodal transportation connections and travel services.

o         The degree to which the project will be used to leverage
additional economic redevelopment and private investment in the station
neighborhood, especially mixed use development.

o         The project’s integration of the station into the surrounding
community.  This includes links with historic preservation and/or community
heritage, its ability to create a mixed-use environment that is pedestrian,
bicycle, and transit-friendly, and extends beyond the station’s physical
boundaries into the surrounding neighborhood.

o         The reasonableness of the project’s overall financial plan to
satisfy both the initial development and the ongoing operating costs of the
project.

o         The degree to which the project represents a partnership between
public and private sectors, and the extent to which the community has been
involved in project planning and design.

------------------------------