(rshsdepot) Petaluma CA depot planned as rail, bus center

[jdent1_@_optonline.net]

From Altamont Press Newsline:
http://railroadnews.net/news/8-26.html

Historic buildings planned as center for rail and bus commuters, tourists

Petaluma, California's long-neglected railroad depot on Lakeville Street,
recently the focus of efforts to repair and repaint the exteriors of its
three buildings, is slated for even more work as the city puts time and
dollars into revitalizing the downtown area.

The depot buildings, which date to 1914, are planned as the centerpiece of a
new gateway area on the east side of downtown that caters to tourists,
shoppers and commuters.

The depot site, which is owned by Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART),
is being leased by the city for a future light rail stop and visitors
bureau. Officials want to re-open the depot as a stop along the Northwestern
Pacific tracks that are proposed for a North Bay commuter rail line from
Cloverdale to San Rafael.

The depot's proximity to downtown traffic and a new transit hub proposed
nearby make it an ideal place for a visitors center, said Paul Marangella,
Petaluma's director of economic development and redevelopment.

Last week, the City Council voted to continue that vision, authorizing the
$1.3 million second phase of work on the depot -- putting in landscaping and
parking areas.

The work, which is expected to be completed in January, will include new
wiring, utilities and outdoor lights.

The third phase of the $3.1 million overall project is remodeling the
interior of the three buildings -- known as the depot, baggage and freight
buildings -- to prepare them for potential tenants. Funding for that work is
planned as part of next year's budget, Marangella said.

The baggage building, the smallest structure, located in between the two
others, is slated to become restrooms to serve visitors and commuters from
the rail line and a new bus terminus proposed for Copeland Street, a block west.

"People would walk from the terminus to catch the train," Marangella said.

The city is renting the buildings from SMART for the below-market rate of
$1,000 a month in exchange for improving the site as a future rail station
and visitors center, Marangella said.

In voting to approve the next phase of work on the depot last week, Mayor
David Glass praised the efforts to restore the historic site.

"It's a $3.1 million investment," Glass said. "These are historic buildings
that could have been lost to the community."

In addition to the reborn depot and a bus transit hub, the area west of
Lakeville and east of the river is also being considered for a mixed-use
project, said Community Development Director Mike Moore. - Corey Young, The
Petaluma Argus-Courier, courtesy Larry W. Grant
 


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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 #981
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org