Plans for restoring and updating a railroad depot in east Lawrence could include adding a diner, opening a bike-rental shop or even establishing a perch for up-close observation of bald eagles.

Stan Hernly will be hanging around the place today, and he’d like to hear from anyone who has thoughts about such possibilities or more.

“We’ve been through the building several times now,” said Hernly, an architect whose firm has been hired to propose plans for restoration and upgrades. “We’ve got our master list of all the things that could be done to the building, to bring it up to current codes and potential projects.

“Now we need to get that more detailed, and put some prices on those things. That’s the next step, to get everything put together in a total package, and then to prioritize that. It would be good to hear what people think.”

Hernly and his colleagues will be working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe depot, 413 E. Seventh St., and the public is invited.

Lawrence city commissioners are spending $25,000 for Hernly’s study, expected to detail what the building needs to be returned to top condition, improve its energy efficiency and provide accessibility for people with disabilities. The report also will suggest how to preserve the building’s 1950s-era architectural elements while enabling decades of future service.

Hernly’s report is expected to be finished by the end of the year, in time for city officials to pursue potential grants that could help finance restoration efforts.