(rshsdepot) Worcester, MA

["jdent1_@_optonline.net" <jdent1@optonline.net>]

From the Worcester, Ma Tegram & Gazette...

Communities hoping Union Stations get economies moving 

Sunday, May 5, 2002

By Bronislaus B. Kush
Telegram & Gazette Staff 


PROVIDENCE-- Union Station -- a segmented complex of five 
yellow-brick and brownstone structures that distinctively 
reflect Colonial and Renaissance motifs -- hasn't seen a 
train pull up in 15 years.

And except for the most ardent train enthusiasts, nobody 
in Rhode Island's capital city is really upset.

Opened in 1898 to replace another train barn that burned 
down, the station snugly fits in the middle of Capital 
Center, a 60-acre urban renewal project that has reshaped 
the face of New England's second-largest city.

Visitors walking out the front door are greeted by a public 
skating rink and a plaza that's ringed by the busy financial 
and government districts.

Out back, the award-winning Waterplace Park -- created 
recently when the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket rivers were 
moved closer to the routes they followed before 19th century 
development partially filled the waterways -- features a 
tranquil pool with a central fountain and a stone-stepped 
amphitheater.

Nearby, Providence Place -- a glitzy, 13-acre upscale 
mall -- woos shoppers.

Though it offers no train service, Union Station has a place 
here, serving as home to restaurants and offices, including 
those of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and 
The Rhode Island Foundation, one of the region's largest 
philanthropies.

=93It's too bad that Providence is one of the few cities that 
actually decided to close down (train) service in its Union 
Station,=94 said Rick Schwartz, a spokesman for The Rhode 
Island Foundation, which now owns a good chunk of the station. 
=93But on the other hand, the building was saved.=94

Providence officials view the restoration of their Union 
Station as an important piece in the overall $740 million 
plan to replace nearby empty lots and dilapidated buildings 
into a Manhattan-style neighborhood where people can live, 
shop and be entertained.

But the success didn't come overnight.

As their peers in Worcester are now trying to do, Providence 
planners had to find the right fit for the old train station 
- -- balancing the desire to restore a historic gem with the 
need to integrate that treasure into a comprehensive plan 
that would drive local economic development.

By virtue of the dominance of the =93iron horse=94 in meeting 
the nation's transportation needs during the late 19th and 
early 20th centuries, train stations became centerpieces in 
many communities, with municipal officials sparing no cost 
to lavishly appoint their transportation hubs.

But as America moved into the auto and jet ages, train 
service thinned out and cavernous Union Stations, with 
their large upkeep costs, began deteriorating.

Many, such as Worcester's, shut down and became eyesores 
- -- prompting civic leaders to find other tenants and purposes 
for their rail centers.

Some New England cities have chosen, whether by design or 
lack of development interest, to use their historic 
stations solely as transportation hubs.

Others have added commercial, entertainment or cultural 
aspects to the mix.

Urban designers stress, however, that there is no tried 
and true formula to making old train stations economically 
viable.

Much, they said, depends on the market needs of the 
community and the ability of the building to fill that 
capacity.

But, they add that the time and expense of rehabilitating 
the stations is well worth it.

Erich Strebe, a spokesman for the Great American Station 
Foundation, said train station renovations have served 
as critical anchors in redevelopment efforts in a number 
of communities.

He said the projects have increased employment, nearby 
property assessments and household incomes. Additionally, 
they have boosted civic pride.

=93A station renovation leads to economic ripple effects, 
as well as affecting community cohesion,=94 said Mr. Strebe, 
noting more and more cities are looking to upgrade their 
stations.

The New Mexico-based organization received between 40 and 
50 requests this year from municipalities seeking financial 
help to restore their =93Union Stations.=94 Fifteen cities and 
towns got some aid.

The foundation is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1996 as 
an offshoot of Amtrak to promote economic development through 
the preservation of railroad stations.

=93There are always people saying, 'Why restore an old train 
station.' Well, there's an inherent value in those buildings,=94 
Mr. Strebe said. =93In most communities, the train station is 
the premier piece of architecture, and many people can relate 
to it (historically). And then there's the economic development 
that a restored station brings.=94

In 1999, the foundation -- in concert with Amtrak -- studied 
the effect of station restorations in several cities and 
determined the investments yielded significant results.

In cities the size of Worcester, for example, the projects 
resulted in an increase of 170 to 975 jobs. Meanwhile, the 
overall value of properties went up between $15 million and 
$90 million, with communities reaping an additional $750,000 
to $4.5 million annually in property taxes.

Urban planners, however, caution municipal officials that 
a train station restoration is not a simple task and that 
economic objectives are not realized overnight.

In Providence, for example, the old train station sat in 
the middle of a tract that city officials ambitiously wanted 
to redevelop.

There were some who advocated the demolition of the building, 
which occupies a parcel about the size of a city block.

The tracks and other physical components of the rail system 
formed a physical barrier that separated the downtown from 
Smith Hill.

Train traffic had dropped considerably over the years, and 
some felt a smaller station would better fit Providence's 
needs.

When it opened, about 300 trains stopped at Union Station, 
but, by the 1950s, that traffic decreased by 75 percent.

So, when the federal government proposed upgrades to the 
Amtrak system, city planners saw their opportunity to 
move on the urban renewal project.

The rail infrastructure, including the bed, was removed and 
a smaller train facility opened in 1987, just a short 
distance away.
=93For the most part, the tracks bisected the city, dividing 
the financial district from state government,=94 Mr. Schwartz 
said.

As for Union Station itself, a development partnership 
planned an $11 million renovation to turn the building 
into a retailing center.

A major fire, though, heavily damaged it, and the station 
looked like it might still face the wrecking ball.

Renovation plans, however, were jump-started when London-based 
Cookson America -- in search of a North American headquarters -- 
bought the central portion of the station and retrofitted it at 
a cost of $14 million.

That segment, which serves as the centerpiece for the complex, 
was purchased about three years ago for about $5 million by 
The Rhode Island Foundation, which moved its offices there and 
added an art gallery.

Besides the foundation, the central segment houses a public 
radio station, a children's advocacy group and two restaurants.

The Rhode Island Foundation, which has $400 million in assets 
and is the 20th-largest community foundation in the United 
States, hired a curator to manage the gallery, which rotates 
its exhibits. Currently, there's an exhibit focusing on the 
old Negro baseball leagues.

Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. had originally raised objections 
to the sale of a part of Union Station to the nonprofit 
foundation, fearing a loss of property tax money.

City officials backed off, however, when the tax-exempt 
foundation agreed to pay anyway.

The rebirth of Union Station in Providence prompted other 
communities to consider renovations. Train stations in 
Westerly and Woonsocket also underwent makeovers, though 
on a much smaller scale.

Meanwhile, up north in rustic Vermont, a number of residents 
in Brattleboro banded together to save their community's 
station.

From 1849 to 1966, the railroads linked Brattleboro to the 
otside world with as many as 18 trains stopping in the scenic 
town.

All the mail, as well as the out-of-town newspapers, was 
delivered by rail. Trains served as the conduit for all 
sorts of goods.

The 1950s, however, brought with it air travel and new 
forms of communication, including television and the 
interstate highway system.

On Sept. 1, 1966, the Central Vermont and the Boston & 
Maine terminated regular passenger service, and 

Brattleboro's Union Station, a modest building by train 
station standards, closed.

It quickly fell into disrepair and was sold to the town.

The station was in great need of parking, and 
Brattleboro officials, fearful of the public's safety, 
decided to raze the building.

A group of concerned residents, though, wanted to save 
the building in hopes of turning it into a community art 
center and history museum.
After much hard work by volunteers, the Brattleboro 
Museum & Art Center opened in 1972, and the station became 
the first building in town to be listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places.

=93The station was slated to become a parking lot,=94 said 
Christine R. Holderness, the museum's director. =93It was 
in really rough shape, and derelicts were continuously 
breaking in. People were literally scraping paint off the 
walls to save this building.=94

The museum, which shuts down in the winter, rents the 
station from the town for $1 annually.

Officials said the building was almost totally dependent 
on volunteer help over its first 10 years of existence. 
It now receives some corporate and foundation aid.

Interestingly, train service returned in 1973 when 
Amtrak reinstated The Montrealer. Today, there's one 
train that travels daily to St. Albans, Vt., and a 
second that winds southward to Washington, D.C.

Overall, the station functions as a museum, though a 
small portion is used as a waiting room for train 
passengers.

The museum has 500 members, and Ms. Holderness said 
it is becoming more connected to the town.

For example, on the weekend of June 8, the museum, 
which opens for the season May 18, will be holding a 
Family Fair to coincide with Brattleboro's first 
=93Heifer Stroll.=94

It's unclear what the future holds for Worcester's 
Union Station, but the problems and issues that block 
its full use have been encountered by officials in 
other New England communities, planners said.

Much, they believe, will depend on how city fathers decide 
to carve up Washington Square and the abutting parcels.

=93Union Station is an important piece in downtown development,=94 
said Philip J. Niddrie, Worcester's chief development officer.
For the time being, Mr. Niddrie said city officials will 
continue efforts to expand and improve commuter rail.

He said they are also interested in finding some tenants to 
provide ancillary services for station users, such as dry 
cleaning and package and mail delivery. 

Bronislaus B. Kush can be reached via e-mail at bkush_@_telegram.com. 

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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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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #367
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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org