(rshsdepot) Hattiesburg, MS

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

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

Ex-railroad chief sees potential in city's depot
Nikki Davis Maute
American Staff Writer Nmaute_@_hattiesb=2Egannett=2Ecom

Former federal railroad chief Gil Carmichael toured Hattiesburg's train
depot Tuesday and fell for the 91-year-old Italian Revival building=2E=20
He was able to see through the peeling green paint on plaster walls to the=

old depot's potential as the key to downtown revitalization=2E=20

Carmichael, an expert in the restoration and redevelopment of train depots=
,
said Hattiesburg's station has more potential for redevelopment than any o=
f
the 130 train station restorations he's been involved with=2E=20

"I did not realize how beautiful this building was and so large,"
Carmichael said=2E He was also chairman of the Amtrak Reform Council, whic=
h
in December called for a reorganization of Amtrak=2E=20

Mayor Johnny DuPree arranged Carmichael's visit, which included a trip to
an upstairs apartment on Main Street and the Walnut Circle Grill=2E=20

"We are excited about the possibilities this project offers Hattiesburg,"
DuPree said=2E DuPree said he met with congressional leaders while in
Washington, D=2EC=2E, last week about funding for the depot=2E=20

The city has about $4 million to complete the first phases, which include =
a
new roof, restoring the outside of the building and some interior work,
said Brett Benson, the city's grant coordinator=2E The overall restoration=
 is
expected to cost $10 million=2E The first phase should be completed by spr=
ing
2004=2E=20

Hattiesburg resident Martha Hope Douglas said the money will be well spent=

if the old station can be restored=2E=20

She grew up in a house near the station and learned to skate on its
concrete landing=2E=20

"I would be so happy if the city can turn this area into what it once was,=
"
Douglas said=2E "Think what this area could be again=2E"=20

Douglas also went to visit Carmichael=2E She knew Carmichael through her
friendship with his mother=2E The Carmichaels are from Columbia=2E=20

Architect Larry Albert said the station is the largest in Mississippi and
has the longest canopy of any station in the United States=2E A later phas=
e
will add several hundred feet to the canopy extending its size to the
original=2E=20

"We had Camp Shelby where soldiers were trained so the canopy was long to
keep the soldiers under a cover," Albert said=2E=20

Albert is an owner of the old Owl Drug building, which includes McKenzie's=

on Main downstairs and two apartments upstairs, one of which Carmichael
visited=2E It was once the site of the city's telephone company=2E=20

"There are two reasons I like to restore these old buildings," Carmichael
said=2E "One is because I love this, and secondly, you get a 20 percent ta=
x
credit=2E On a $200,000 investment that's $40,000=2E"=20

In Meridian, officials said private sector investments - ranging from
apartments that sell for $500,000 to many new retail businesses - were
spurred by the city's train depot redevelopment completed in 1997=2E
Officials estimate that development at $65 million=2E=20

Albert has one vacant apartment that rents for $650 a month=2E=20

At the Hattiesburg station, workers are replacing the roof, the first phas=
e
in a multimillion-dollar restoration project designed to revitalize the
station by turning it into an intermodal facility that combines rail, bus
and taxi service at one site=2E=20

Carmichael, who is chairman of the board of the University of Denver's
Intermodal Transport-ation Institute, advised city officials to include th=
e
retail sector in any plans=2E=20

"This station is the key to restoring downtown Hattiesburg," Carmichael
said=2E "If you want the downtown to become vibrant again, you've got to
bring the people back=2E To do that, you need people and the services peop=
le
need=2E"=20

Carmichael said 75,000 people used Meridian's Union Station last year
because of the redevelopment=2E=20

DuPree and Carmichael were joined at lunch at the Rotary Club where
Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith was the speaker=2E=20

Copyright =A9 2003 Hattiesburg American=2E All Rights Reserved=2E


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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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