HistoricVienna.com May Cry, Too.
Everything in this town is an utter mess and these people want to cry over a train station?!
Vienna Looks For Federal Dollars to Refurbish Depot by BRIAN TROMPETER, Staff Writer (Created: Friday, September 19, 2008 9:55 AM EDT)Vienna officials soon may apply for a grant to renovate the Vienna Train Station, which dates from the mid-1800s. (Photo by Brian Trompeter)
Vienna officials soon may apply jointly with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority for a federal grant to refurbish the town's historic train station.Restoring the station's interior and exterior likely would cost about $300,000, Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Salgado told the Vienna Town Council at a Sept. 15 work session.
The grant would be financed from transportation-enhancement program funds administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Federal money would cover 80 percent of the expense, while Vienna and the Park Authority would match 10 percent each.
Grant applications are scored according to VDOT criteria and approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Applicants must demonstrate a need for their proposed projects, show any potential educational or historical value to their communities, and list resources available for project completion.
The Town Council would have to approve the grant proposal at a regular meeting. Nov. 1 is deadline for the grant application.
Vienna might be able to use capital-improvement moneys for the project, if the grant is approved, Salgado said.
The station is located at Dominion Road and Ayr Hill Avenue, N.E., on the Park Authority's Washington & Old Dominion Regional Park right-of-way. The structure, which dates from the mid-1800s, hasn't handled train traffic since 1968.
The train station would be eligible for the grant because of its past association with transportation, Salgado said.
The station's electrical system has not been upgraded for 50 to 60 years, Salgado said. The building's waiting area would be restored but not its other room, which is home to a massive HO-scale train layout operated by the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders, she said.
The railroad club opens its display to the public for free on 10 Saturdays per year. The next open house is on Oct. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman said restoring the station long has been a goal of hers.
“For years, we've been trying to get the Park Authority to put money into it,” she said. “When you see the [refurbished train station] at Purcellville, you just want to cry.”
Comments
"Restoring the station's interior and exterior likely would cost about $300,000, Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Salgado told the Vienna Town Council at a Sept. 15 work session."
Geez, you can build a modest house for 300K.
Posted by: Pontific8tor | September 24, 2008 12:16 PM
Could they be inflating the costs in order to divert some of the money elsewhere? Vienna TC has done that in the past...
Posted by: hmm... | September 24, 2008 02:53 PM
They could only spend 10k to study the entire revitalization of Maple Avenue, something that could possibly generate millions in extra revenue, which could help lower residential taxes...BUT we can spend 30x that amount on an old shed that no one goes to or cares about? Seeman is a cheat and a hack. Dishonest (and stupid) to the core.
Posted by: 300k | September 24, 2008 03:06 PM
Sorry Lewis Street! Clearly it is more important to look good to visitors than to take care of decaying infrastructure that directly tax paying citizens!
Oh heck who are we kidding we can just tax more later.
Posted by: Susan | September 24, 2008 08:41 PM
$300,000?! You must be joking. Are they going to put in a pool and wine cellar? This is outrageous.
I took a walk through Glyndon Park this morning with the dog, and saw heaps of old discarded sod in huge piles right next to the ball field. Parks and Rec Director can't manage sod, let alone a revitalization of yet another old thing that TC wants to cling onto.
There needs to be a changing of the guards in Vienna. When are the next elections?
Posted by: Vienna Guy | September 25, 2008 09:44 AM
So am I to understand that they would spend $300k on an old train caboose and shed?
The Vienna TC should spend that 300k on preventing gangs and crime by establishing a police substation at the Vienna Park Apartments or the Cedar Lane Shopping Center.
Posted by: Leah | September 25, 2008 11:56 AM
Just to clarify, as the original post does: the Vienna Town Council does not get to spend the $300K. Thank heavens for that. 80% is a VDOT grant for a historical transportation structure. Vienna pays 10%. The NVRPA pays the other 10%.
The Vienna Town Council doesn't get the $300K to spend, so that's kind of good news. They kick in their (well, our) 10% to the project. So I guess a fair yes or no question is whether or not we object to the Town spending $30K on the station.
I'd like to see the station repaired. Cathy Salgado would have been talking about the total cost, with everyone's kick in. I didn't think there was $300K worth wrong with the old station, but I've only rarely been in it when the model RR is open.
Of course, this all begs the question: If the Mayor can find grants for historical renovation, why can't she find them for other things, too? Can't run a Town like a garden club, although the Vienna Town Council sure tries to.
Posted by: Chick | October 10, 2008 02:21 PM