It wasn’t exactly an “all aboard!” moment but city commissioners on Tuesday agreed to move forward with a half-million-dollar grant application to preserve the old Santa Fe depot in east Lawrence.
Commissioners at their weekly meeting unanimously agreed to submit a $583,411 federal transportation enhancement grant application to preserve and improve the 1950s-era building at Seventh and New Jersey streets.
But commissioners didn’t chug along without some trepidation. Several commissioners said they were concerned about how the city would come up with the approximately $175,000 in local matching money that would be required if the city won the federal grant.
Eventually, though, commissioners said they would cross that bridge if they get to it.
“This is an opportunity where we have a chance to get a substantial amount of our funding for this project from outside the community,” said Commissioner Aron Cromwell. “We should absolutely take advantage of that.”
Commissioners directed staff members to begin studying other ways — such as additional grants and private fundraising — to reduce the city’s need to tap into the general fund for the project.
The commission has been urged by a group of residents to purchase the depot from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in an effort to make the depot a more vital community building. Currently, an Amtrak train stops two times per day at the depot, but Amtrak hopes to expand the service to four times per day in the future.
The city, however, has not yet been successful in purchasing the depot from Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The railroad has expressed an interest in donating the building to the city, but would insist on only leasing the land to the city. The railroad also has insisted on having a buy-back provision that would allow the railroad to buy back the depot at any time for the amount the city has put into the building.
A deal for the building likely will need to be done before this summer in order for the city to accept any federal grant that it may receive. The city must own the building before it could use federal grant funds on the project.
The nearly $600,000 worth of work at the building would allow for the roof to be repaired and a fire sprinkler system to be added, along with new heating systems, sidewalks and several other improvements.
An architectural report estimated there are $1.35 million worth of improvements that should be made to the building and site. But some of those improvements — everything from a new community garden to new curtains — weren’t deemed critical to keeping the building functional. Commissioners said they would wait to seek additional federal funding at a later time for those items.
Cromwell and several members of a citizens group asked commissioners to apply for the full $1.35 million in federal grant money now. Other commissioners, though, balked because that would have required about $400,000 in local matching funds.
In other city commission news, commissioners:
• Unanimously gave preliminary approval to purchase the former Oread Labs building in west Lawrence. The proposal involves the city and county spending $2.9 million to purchase and renovate the building near Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive.
A portion of the building will be used to house CritiTech, a Lawrence-based drug development firm that needs more space to expand. The rest of the building would be used to attract other promising biotechnology companies.
Lease payments from CritiTech and other companies are expected to cover much of the $2.9 million worth of bonds. But the city and county have agreed to equally cover any shortfall that arises.
Commissioners praised the proposal as a way to make the city a larger player in the bioscience arena.
“If you don’t go to bat, you aren’t going to get the hits,” Commissioner Lance Johnson said. “For a long time this community has not gone to bat.”
• Approved a $174,345 application for a federal grant to help build lighted pathways from downtown to the Kansas University campus. Commissioners, though, asked staff members to do more study on the lighting plan for the project, after some residents of the Oread Neighborhood expressed concerns.
• Agreed to a 10-year extension of a lease of the Barb Wire Building, 8 E. Sixth St., to Mike Elwell. Elwell received a lease in 1999 as part of his work to convert the city-owned building into a nightclub. The lease included the option of Elwell to renew it for a 10-year period.
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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"The proposal involves the city and county spending $2.9 million to purchase and renovate the building near Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive."
These questions remain unanswered-- If this building is worth the $2.3 million that the city and county are going to pay for it, why is it only valued at $1.4 million? When was the work done that increased its value? Why haven't they been paying full property taxes since then?
Without answers to these questions, the only possible conclusion is that this is nothing but a backdoor abatement that violates every policy regarding property tax abatements.
davekcmo (anonymous) says…
when will journalists figure out that it's best to leave the train cliches to those you interview? pat yourself on the back for loading up one article with "on track", "chug", and "all aboard!"
cute no longer sells newspapers.
geekin_topekan (anonymous) says…
God, I love Lawrence!
bendover61 (anonymous) says…
We don't have the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
collared_greens (anonymous) says…
Too....many...cliches....
Eride (anonymous) says…
This sounds like my ex when she was discussing her shopping habits.... "I had to buy it even though I don't want it because it was on sale"... "we had to commit to spending money we don't have because if we didn't we wouldn't get money to fix something we don't need"...
Seriously, why are these idiots in charge of the city. I realize I am partially to blame because I have never taken voting for the city council seriously but it is time for a change. These people are idiots and they are in charge of our tax dollars.
merrill (anonymous) says…
What exactly did the city base it's purchase of a failed real estate investment?
How exactly will this investment pay back Lawrence taxpayers is a reasonable amount of time?
Does the city have a lien on this property?
Poll Question?
Should the city be in the business of bailing out failed real estate deals?
merrill (anonymous) says…
"Commissioners praised the proposal as a way to make the city a larger player in the bioscience arena."
Every state in the union must be doing this however some cities have already a huge stake in this industry.
This is perfect case whereby the word "bioscience" is being used to manipulate the tax payer. Manipulative Buzz phrases of our recent past to present :
*Bio science
*New Urbanism
*Senior Citizens
*Smart Corridor
*Boom Town Economics brought us the high tax bedroom community
*Lawrence taxpayers are STILL waiting for the their paybacks for at least 20 years.
It's time taxpayers began getting serious about demanding
substance to back up what elected officials are doing. Risking our tax dollars in not what they were elected to do.
Who said local businss people make good politiicans and good stewards of our tax dollars?
Axe2Grind (anonymous) says…
My axe 2 grind today... before you judge the city commission on the depot it would be adviseable for you to take remedial civics lessons from someone other than Glen Beck or Rush Limabugh.