[Date Prev][Date Next] [Chronological] [Thread] [Top]

(rshsdepot) [Fwd: News Release - Citizens rally to save last railway roundhhouse in NS, Town wants to pave over it]

The Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society, of which I am president, is taking the lead in this initiative.
> 
>> Subject: News Release - Citizens rally to save last railway roundhhouse in NS,
>  Town wants to pave over it
> 
> > 
> May 30, 2007
> 
>  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:     KENTVILLE RUSHING TO DEMOLISH HERITAGE BUILDING 
> 
>  THE LAST RAILWAY ROUNDHOUSE IN NOVA SCOTIA IS ON A FAST-TRACK TO DEMOLITION TO SWEETEN A LAND DEAL, KENTVILLE MAYOR DAVID CORKUM TOLD A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS MONDAY NIGHT.
> 
> 
> SHANNEX, A NOVA SCOTIA BASED SENIORS COMPLEX CONSORTIUM, HAS AN OPTION TO DEVELOP ALL THE REMAINING DOMINION ATLANTIC RAILWAY LAND. CORKUM TOLD THE GROUP THE DEVELOPER WILL WALK AWAY FROM KENTVILLE IF THE HISTORIC BUILDING REMAINS.
> 
> 
> THE TOWN HAS ALREADY SPENT MORE THAN HALF-A-MILLION DOLLARS ON ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP OF THE FLOODPLAIN, AND WILL SPEND UP TO AN ADDITIONAL HALF-A-MILLION DOLLARS TO DEMOLISH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK AND CLEAN UP CONTAMINATION BEFORE HANDING THE LAND TO DEVELOPERS. 
> 
> TRANSPORTATION HISTORIAN, DAN CONLIN, QUESTIONED THE TOWN'S EXPENDITURE FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING TAXPAYERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS INTERESTED IN SAVING THE ROUNDHOUSE. HE SAID FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL HERITAGE GROUPS AND LOCAL CITIZENS ARE PREPARED TO EXPLORE OPTIONS TO CREATE A HERITAGE AND CULTURAL CENTRE. CORKUM WOULD NOT COMMIT TO REVIEWING A PROPOSAL, INDICATING THE TENDER FOR DEMOLITION CLOSES IN TWO WEEKS.
> 
> THE KENTVILLE MAYOR SAID DEVELOPMENT OUTWEIGHS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RAILROAD. HE ALSO REJECTED CLAIMS THE SENIORS COMPLEX WOULD STRAIN ALREADY LIMITED HEALTHCARE AND SKILLED LABOUR IN THE VALLEY. HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE THINKS THE ROUNDHOUSE IS UGLY, KENTVILLE TOWN COUNCIL FEELS BAD ABOUT DEMOLISHING IT. 
> 
> AT ONE TIME, THE RAILROAD EMPLOYED ONE-THIRD OF THE TOWN'S POPULATION AND HELPED BUILD THE AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES IN THE VALLEY. THE APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL, WHICH KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND, WAS CREATED IN PART BY THE RAILROAD. 
> 
> 
> AN ENGINEER'S REPORT, PAID FOR BY THE TOWN, INDICATES RESTORATION IS AN OPTION FOR THE BUILDING.
> 
> 
> -30-
> 
> 
> BACKGROUND - COUNCIL HELD NO PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THIS. A LOCAL NEWSPAPER REPORTER JUST CAUGHT THE DECISION AND PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE LAST WEEK, OTHERWISE NO PUBLIC NOTICE OF DEMOLITION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. CITIZENS, INDUSTRIAL. HERITAGE AND RAILWAY GROUPS ARE SCRAMBLING TO FIND A SOLUTION. THE TENDER FOR DEMOLITION CLOSES IN TWO WEEKS. KENTVILLE DEMOLISHED ITS RAILROAD STATION IN A SIMILAR MANNER YEARS AGO. THERE IS ANOTHER DEVELOPER ALREADY BUILDING A SENIORS COMPLEX ON THE DAR LANDS. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A HOTEL WITH THE SHANNEX GROUP - ESTIMATED DEVELOPMENT ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR OF $10 MILLION. THE RESTORATION OF THE ROUNDHOUSE WOULD BE IN AROUND $1-MILLION. IN MINUTES FROM ITS APRIL 30 MEETING POSTED ON ITS WEB SITE, THE TOWN MUST ALSO BUILD A BERM TO TRY AND AVOID FUTURE FLOODING, AS THE LAND IS A FLOODPLAIN ALONG THE CORNWALLIS RIVER. TOWN MINUTES INDICATES A PAVED ROAD IS THE PLAN FOR THE ROUNDHOUSE LOCATION. 
> 
> Update: Public appeals to Council are planned for its June 13 meeting, but the tender to demolish it close on June 15 and the Town says its not interested in funding to restore the building or revitalize the Town. It plans to pave it.
> 
> For more information contact: 
> 
> Contacts:
> 
> Kentville Mayor David Corkum (town office 679-2500, home 678-9125) (679-1122 Century 21 Real Estate, his private business)
> 
> 
> Shannex Head Office 454-7499 (Joseph P. Shannon President, Owner - home number 625-0668) 
> 
> 
> Transportation Historian Dan Conlin 424-6442, OR 492-9939 (transportation history)
> 
> 
> JP Underwood, President Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Association 883-9673 (railway history, lobbying)
> 
>  Bria Stokesbury, Kings Historical Society, curator 678-6273 (kings history)
> 
> Sherri Turner, assisting with PR, 692-0137
> 
>  Resources:
> 
> 
> Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Association lists attractions along the Evangeline Trail http://www.novascotiarailwayheritage.com/evangeline.htm Former railway station serves as a library in Wolfville.
> 
> 
> Roundhouse in Vancouver - now a $9-million arts, culture and recreation facility http://www.roundhouse.ca virtual tours to show the potential for Kentville.
> 
> 
> Roundhouse in Frankfurt - groups fighting to save http://www.rockinfortheroundhouse.com/contactUs.asp 
> 
> www.town.kentville.ns.ca - CAC minutes of April 30, 2007
> 
>  
> 
> 

From Railfare-DC Books:
http://www.railfare.net/From%20Folly%20to%20Fortune.html
http://railfare.net/builtforwar.html
Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Hall of Fame:
http://www.nsrwyhalloffame.com/
Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society:
http://novascotiarailwayheritage.com/

=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
To Unsubscribe: http://lists.railfan.net/rshsdepot-photo/unsub.html

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