(rshsdepot) Burlington, IA

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From The Hawk Eye.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Officials say they will work with city on depot remodel.
 
By JEFF ABELL
 
_jabell_@_thehawkeye.com_ (mailto:jabell@thehawkeye.com) 
 
For years, the Burlington railroad depot has sat idle, an empty shell that  
once served as a transportation hub for the region. 
 
To return the 22,000-square-foot unmanned station back to its former glory,  
Amtrak officials say they are ready to team with city officials.
 
Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman, said the federal agency will work with  
the city to secure grants to redevelop the 64-year-old train station.
 
"It's in a very sad state. There is this large, lovely waiting room with  
historic murals, and it has been allowed to deteriorate. That's just one  
example," Magliari said. 
 
"We are more than willing to do what we can to save this historic building.  
There is state of Iowa and other money out there for a project like this," he  
added.
 
Long on the city's list of priorities, redeveloping the depot has taken a  
back seat to other projects, including the renovation of Memorial Auditorium,  
construction of a new public library and the commercial redevelopment of Flint  
Hills Manor.
 
City Manager Doug Worden said that could soon change.
 
"I had a real good conversation with a gentleman from Amtrak about the  
depot. He is sending me some information about some possible grant  opportunities. 
From what I have seen so far, it looks to be a good partnership,"  Worden said 
Monday.
 
In the short term, Worden suggested the city change its focus from  marketing 
the depot to prospective businesses to remodeling the common areas,  
including the lobby and restrooms.
 
To make necessary improvements, it's estimated the city will need to invest  
more than $1 million into the depot.
 
"Let's get those areas cleaned up ... And maybe the rest of the building  
will come a long," he said.
 
According to Worden, the construction of a flood wall or similar structure  
will add to the marketability of the building. In 1993 and again in June,  
floodwater from the Mississippi River seeped into the depot.
 
In the past, developers considered the building for office space and a  
restaurant, but none of those ideas ever reached fruition. Among those  interested 
was the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission.
 
In 2005, the commission approached the city about moving its offices from  
Memorial Auditorium to the depot. The plan also included the commission  
operating its regional transit bus system from the building.
 
Since then, the agency has not committed to relocating to the depot. Brian  
Tapp, executive director of SEIRPC, did not return a telephone call for comment 
 Monday.
 
Worden said it's unlikely the commission will move to the depot. He said,  "I 
don't think it's even on regional planning's radar any more."
 
The depot was built in 1944 for $300,000 after a fire destroyed the  previous 
Victorian-style depot.
 
The city bought the building from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway  
for about $75,000 in 1994 and has spent nearly $400,000 in state grant money 
for  exterior work, including roof repair, awning replacement, new windows and  
installation of a heating system.
 
Amtrak's offer to help restore the depot came on the heels of an accident  
where a passenger was injured after being struck by an Amtrak train. 
 
On Nov. 27, Sudene S. Forrester, 23, of Burlington was waiting too close to  
the tracks behind the depot when her foot was severed by a southbound train. 
 
"As sad as that accident was, what we are trying to focus on is working  with 
the city to make the depot a better place," Magliari  said.
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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 #1822
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=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org