(rshsdepot) Cherokee, IA

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

Depot moves one step closer to completed renovation

Cherokee Daily Times Staff Report February 28, 2002

CHEROKEE - The Cherokee Depot moved one step closer to being completely
renovated Tuesday night as the city council awarded the contract for the
project to Haselhoff Construction.

      The locally-based contractor bid a total of $226,941 for the project.

      According to Depot Renovation Group member Jim Adamson, the total
represents a cost of $78,150 for the creation of an elevator shaft and the
installation of a handicapped-accessible elevator.

      The remaining $148,791 represents the other work needed to
rehabilitate the historic structure.

      "It's going to be an extensive interior rehabilitation with some
exterior rehabilitation," Adamson said of the project. "We're going to
install an elevator on the ground floor to the second floor and install
heating and air conditioning on the second floor as well as finish the
plumbing."

      In addition, workers will be refinishing the windows and windowsills
and will construct and install new storm windows in the building.

      A wheelchair ramp with handrails will be installed at the west side of
the depot. The railing at the stairway will be reconstructed according to
original drawings from 1896.

      Woodworking and handicapped accessibility are only a small part of the
project. There's lots more to be done.

      "We're going to re-lay brick pavers south to the Elm Street sidewalk
and we're going to stabilize the express building by doing brick and mortar
work and putting on a new roof and shingles as well as doing some window
work indoors," Adamson explained.

      In the fall of 2001, the Depot Renovation Group received two grants,
one federal, the other state, to restore the building to its former glory.

      The state grant, known as a Historical Site Preservation Grant, was
authorized through the State Historical Society of Iowa in the amount of
$69,000.

      The second, a Transportation Enhancement Act grant, uses federal
highway funds and totals $64,000.

      That leaves the group $15,791 short of their goal. Undaunted, the
renovators plan on mounting a fund raising effort to make up for the
difference.

      "We'll be establishing a fund raising effort with clear goals,"
Adamson said.

      The Depot Renovation Group plans to get to work right away as the
grants are good only up until September of this year.

      "We are going to be communicating with the contractor in a
pre-construction meeting at the depot to review plans and drawings and to
set up a schedule of work," Adamson noted.

      In other business, the council briefly discussed an ordinance adding a
new section regarding the council's review of property variances.

      According to City Administrator Bruce Bierma, the state code allows
for this, but council members would only be able to review the variances
once they had been granted by the board of adjustment.

      At their own discretion, the council could recommend that a variance
be sent back to the board of adjustment for further review.

      Due to some problems with the ordinance's language, the item was
tabled and no action was taken on its first presentation.

      The council also heard a presentation by Evertek, reviewed the 2000-01
annual audit of the city books by King, Reinsch, Prosser and Company; and
heard a number of reports regarding various city projects.

      Bierma noted that work is continuing on the plans for the Main Street
project, but he could not estimate how long it would be before they were
complete.

      At this time, meetings between city representatives and the block
captains are on hold for the next two weeks, but work on the project is
continuing.

      "We're going to keep putting things together," Bierma said.

      Prior to adjourning the meeting, the council entered executive session
to discuss current litigation.

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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