(rshsdepot) Osceola, IA

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From today's Des Moines  Register.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Osceola depot to be  restored


By WILLIAM PETROSKI  
Osceola`s century-old passenger train depot, which serves Iowa`s busiest  
Amtrak stop, is finally on track for a historic restoration.  
After years of efforts, the city acquired ownership of the brown brick depot  
in October from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, said Osceola Mayor 
 Fred Diehl.  
The building, constructed in 1907, hosts nearly 16,000 passengers annually.  
Many riders have complained that the aging facility presents a poor image for  
the city.  
``What we are going to do is fix up the outside of the building and restore  
it to what it was originally intended for,`` Diehl said. ``We`ll put a new 
roof  on it, tuckpoint the brick, install new windows, and put in a hard-surface  
parking lot.``  
The renovation plans are good news to Gary Billmeyer of Des Moines, a regular 
 Amtrak rider who is vice president of the Iowa Association of Railroad  
Passengers. He last used the Osceola depot in October while returning from a  
visit to Galesburg, Ill. The station serves Amtrak`s California Zephyr, which  
runs daily in both directions between Chicago and the West Coast.  
``We have to preserve that train station. It`s a gateway for the Des Moines  
market and for Kansas City people to get on the Zephyr to go to Denver,``  
Billmeyer said.  
All of Iowa`s six passenger train depots could use improvements, particularly 
 as they try to compete with modern airports with wi-fi service, nice 
restaurants  and other amenities, said Eliot Keller of Iowa City, a member of the 
Iowa  Passenger Train Coalition, which is seeking to improve rail service.  
``It becomes a question of what face do you want to put on your community.  
Like it or not, it is a welcome center,`` Keller said.  
Iowa is served by two daily long-distance Amtrak trains. The California  
Zephyr stops in Burlington, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa, Osceola and Creston, while  
the Southwest Chief stops in Fort Madison en route between Chicago and Los  
Angeles.  
In Osceola, the exterior depot repairs will cost an estimated $564,000, with  
most of the financing covered by a federal grant of $310,626 provided by the  
Iowa Department of Transportation. Money from city government, plus a share 
of  Osceola`s casino profits, will help pay the rest.  
The work should be completed next year, Diehl said. Interior depot repairs  
will be done when money becomes available, he added.  
Douglas Steinmetz of Cedar Rapids, a historic preservation architect who has  
worked throughout Iowa, hopes to develop a master plan for the Osceola depot  
property. Besides the station rehabilitation, other improvements might 
include a  restaurant or a museum, he said. Historic photos show there were once 
other  buildings on the site.  
``The potential is high. They have a building that is in basically good  
shape,`` Steinmetz said. ``They have so much unused site around the building  that 
with some thought and planning, it could really come to life.``  
The push for restoring the depot comes as passenger train ridership has been  
increasing in response to soaring gas prices and congestion on the nation`s  
highway system and airports.  
In Iowa, a total of 62,356 people got on and off Amtrak trains at six Iowa  
train stations during the 12 months ending Sept. 20, Amtrak records show. That  
was up just 1.5 percent from a year earlier, but it was the highest since 
Amtrak  was established in 1971.  
Nationally, Amtrak ridership set a record with 25.8 million passengers, the  
fifth straight year of gains.  
Amtrak earlier this year completed a study on possible passenger rail service 
 between Chicago and Dubuque. The report estimated the cost of upgrading 
tracks  to accommodate passenger trains could be as much as $62 million. In 
addition,  studies are under way on a possible passenger train route between Chicago 
and  the Quad Cities with an extension to Iowa City and Des Moines, Amtrak 
spokesman  Marc Magliari said.  
Added Keller: ``We`re seeing a lot more interest and a lot more support for  
passenger trains from chambers of commerce, economic development groups, the  
Iowa Department of Transportation and a number of legislators.``  
But there are still obstacles to expanding Iowa passenger rail service,  
particularly obtaining state money to subsidize operating expenses, track  
improvements and acquire train equipment, he said.  
``This is not just going to be a trip to the Capitol, saying, `Hey, write us  
a check.` There are going to have to be some plans in place,`` Keller said. 



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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1643
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